All major international TV channels ran the debate at the UN Security Council on February 23, with every democratic country expressing severe condemnation of Russia for bringing the world to the brink of the most dangerous and frightening situation since World War 2.
During those deliberations Russian president Vladimir Putin announced that his troops were entering Ukrainian territory. This announcement generated even greater censure from not only the Security Council but almost every world leader.
Yet the lead feature on eNCA and SABC TV on the morning of Thursday, February 24, was the previous day’s budget speech, the bankruptcy of Liliesleaf Farm, the death of an SA rapper and, of course, the traffic report. Is SA living in Cloud Cuckoo Land? The whole world is teetering on the cusp of war, yet local television has the story on the backburner.
More importantly, SA remained mute, where every democratic country issued a stern denunciation of Putin’s unprovoked attack, including fellow Brics bloc members Brazil and India. The international relations & co-operation minister, Naledi Pandor, issued some insignificant statement appealing for “restraint”.
That is very unlike this minister, who has never missed the opportunity to jump into the deep end to condemn Israel’s efforts to defend her population from unprovoked and indiscriminate rocket attacks on civilian populations.
This minister and her ANC government are simply too afraid to criticise their masters, as was proved some years back when the Dalai Lama was twice refused a visa to enter the country for fear of raising China’s ire. And let’s not forget the ANC ignoring the arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir. Double standards have never bothered Pandor or her colleagues.
Allan Wolman
Tel Aviv, Israel
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