STEVEN KUO: The SA government, lacking leadership, has slighted the Ukrainian ambassador
Ukrainian ambassador to SA Liubov Abravitova has been fighting a faceless SA bureaucracy that values protocol above human lives
The Ukrainian ambassador to SA Liubov Abravitova, deserves our respect. She has worked tirelessly to publicise the plight of her countrymen and woman, fighting as hard as her comrades on the front lines. While her comrades fight invaders, she has been fighting a faceless SA bureaucracy that values protocol above human lives. She is perfectly entitled to give President Cyril Ramaphosa the cold shoulder and keep him waiting some more to have that call with her boss, President Volodymyr Zelensky.
After all, Ramaphosa waited a week after he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin to even request a conversation with Zelensky. When Abravitova asked for emergency meetings with Ramaphosa and international relations & co-operation minister Naledi Pandor given the calamity that had befallen her country and SA influence as a Brics country, she was told protocol did not allow her, a mere ambassador, to meet his holiness Ramaphosa and her highness Pandor. All sarcasm observed...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.