WAR IN EUROPE
Ramaphosa’s former adviser Bejani Chauke part of Africa’s Russia-Ukraine peace initiative
South Africa has sent a team of high-level officials to Ukraine and Russia for a peace initiative by six African nations. Controversial voluntary special adviser Bejani Chauke is part of the team.
Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya confirmed that a close ally of President Cyril Ramaphosa, Bejani Chauke, is one of the officials who will be working on the preparations for the Russia-Ukraine peace talks led by African countries.
Chauke resigned as Ramaphosa’s adviser in March, giving up a handsome paycheck, only to assume another advisory position pro bono. At the time, Magwenya described the position as a part-time role, similar to that of an investment envoy.
On Monday, Magwenya said, “Preparations are under way for a delegation of heads of states who are part of the African leaders’ peace mission to Ukraine, to travel to Moscow and Kyiv.
“Yes, Mr Chauke is part of that team. Last week we issued a statement which clarified Mr Chauke’s role alongside other advisers. Mr Chauke remains, which he does on a voluntary basis.”
Chauke quit his job in the Presidency while under fire for his alleged involvement in the Phala Phala farm forex theft scandal. According to an affidavit submitted to the Public Protector by the former head of the presidential protection services, Major-General Wally Rhoode, Chauke travelled to Windhoek for an undisclosed purpose in June 2020.
He is said to have met Namibian President Hage Geingob shortly after Namibian authorities arrested the main suspect in the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm.
He has, however, repeatedly denied any links to the scandal.
Chauke first came to the fore as Ramaphosa’s campaign manager in the ANC leadership race in 2017, when Ramaphosa beat Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. He has since been accused of paying ANC conference delegates in return for votes at the party’s 54th and 55th national conferences.
He failed in his bid to become the party’s treasurer-general at the 55th conference, but made it on to the National Executive Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body between conferences.
The peace mission
Ramaphosa made an official announcement about the peace mission last Tuesday during the state visit of Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong.
The other countries in the delegation are Zambia, Senegal, Uganda, Republic of Congo and Egypt.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had adverse effects on economies around the world and poses a threat to global food security.
“The President has directed that we look at all the peace plans and look at consolidating that information… to engage around the key points. What is important at the moment is to get to… a cessation of hostilities so that a conducive environment for dialogue can then be created,” said Magwenya.
“We have a severe threat to food security as a continent. We have seen the increase in prices for grain and fertiliser. The cost of not acting will by far outweigh the costs that any of the six countries are going to incur as a result of the peace mission.”
Read more in Daily Maverick: Russia relay — Presidency’s intelligence minister jets off to Moscow a week after the army chief’s visit
South Africa is also trying to salvage its relations with the US after the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, publicly announced that the South African government had supplied weapons to Russia. Brigety claimed weapons and ammunition were loaded on to the Russian cargo ship Lady R at the Simon’s Town Naval Base in December 2022.
The Presidency has since announced that there will be an inquiry into the matter. While a judge has already been appointed to head the inquiry into the sale of weapons, the Presidency is still working on the terms of reference.
Magwenya did not disclose the name of the judge. DM
The Russians will shower them withhugs and bugs. Then they go to Kiev. Next thing you know…bomb drops on Zelenskyy. This group of clowns are not ready for climbing into bed with the Russian bear.
So, suddenly, we are part of a peace mission. So transparent and pathetic.
And to expect six African nations to influence the situation?!
Precisely! This bunch of mis fits somehow think their voice will be greater & more meaningful than any other international organization striving relentlessly to end the conflict. Just an expensive jaunt to nowhere….
We can assume that they will be listened to, but the chance of anyone taking notice of what they say is probably zero.
Imagine this lot is actually successful! That Putin and Zelensky, after meeting with this exemplary party, decide peace is the answer! We the people will certainly have masses of egg on our faces…
For this unlikely outcome, many of us would volunteer to be egg targets ♡
Another expensive jaunt by people by people whom no-one cares about to achieve absolutely nothing while their countries crumble and only now when food security is threatened.
They cannot even find solutions to our problems but they want to solve other countries problems, my what wonderful people we have.
Precisely, pay attention to your own problems first!
Intelligence Minister?? That’s an oxymoron if ever I have heard one!! Is there such a thing in this country?
On the way back they can stop off in Sudan and sort out that problem
The use of “Intelligence” with presidency is about as good an oxymoron as you can find.
Waste of time and money. It is as if Ramaphosa fiddles while South Africa burns
A fight breaks out in a pub, and the big bully is seen trying to beat the nimble little guy senseless. So the prostitutes that frequent the club jump in to try and create peace. It fails, because they have no credibility. (With my deepest apologies to all prostitutes. We would probably be better off with them running the country than these ANC/EFF scoundrels.)
Just pathetic posturing by our failing president. Does he not get the plot? Putin and his mob simply marched into a peaceful neighbor’s country and started killing their citizens and destroying their buildings. So what is this money wasting delegation going to do? Tell them to shake hands and be friends while Russia re-arms sufficiently to repeat the exercise? Zelensky would be fully justified in telling them to piss off.
Zelensky would be fully justified in telling them to piss off.
He probably will 😄😄
we have the absurd headline yesterday that Wagner group announced that they will hand over the Bakhmut area to russia now.
We live in very strange times when a private mercenaries take over land and hand it to another country yet foreign armies and agencies do not annihilate the mercenary forces. We seem to have regressed to the privateer model of the old days.
As to this peace mission, putin will entrench the eastern sliver and refuse to pay reparations. Ukraine will stick to their guns and demand full withdrawal plus war reparations. At best what we see is an exchange of prisoners of war.
Really? Send a delegation of “peace mongers” where the majority do not condemn Putins’ invasion outright?Ukraine is fighting for their county, their future, their people… their survival as a sovereign nation!
I doubt the issues of food security in far off nations is high on the Ukrainian agenda at the moment, or going to sway them from their fight, neither should it.
Laughable if it wasn’t so embarrassing to the country. As if anyone will take them seriously – I’d love to hear the very unflattering private opinions held by Russians. The Ukrainians should arrest them as enemy agents.
South Africans overrate themselves based on phoney transition we achieved three decades ago. You can’t even provide electricity for citizens for half-a-day who will take you seriously in international affairs? Fix your house first and then advise others what to do. Every government department must dedicate their time and resources to fixing our electricity problems. Moving to self-generation for all government buildings for examples. Every one knows SA is failing state but we spent money on emissaries to appear on the right side of history.