LETTER: SA fails the entire family of nations
By failing to reach out to the Ukraine our government is judged to have neglected accepted norms of basic humanity
Our government’s approach to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is seriously questioned by traditional allies. Certain universally tried and tested principles are relevant in this regard. You must never allow ideology to influence your interpretation of basic human rights.
When you rate war crimes on different scales depending on where they are committed, you discriminate. When you close your eyes to blatant war crimes, you are complicit in a sense. When you fail one member of the family of nations, you fail the entire family of nations. When you apply the rule of law selectively, you undermine legal certainty.
By failing to reach out to the Ukrainian ambassador to SA, the representative of the president of Ukraine in our country, after the start of the cruel invasion by Vladimir Putin and his henchmen, our government is judged to have neglected accepted norms of basic humanity.
Many members of the family of nations that supported the ANC in their struggle are watching the current stance of the ANC-led government with disappointment. Our international standing has taken a further knock.
Dawie Jacobs
Sterrewag
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