Very appropriately, Business Day condemns SA’s oversimplified and misguided policy on the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime (SA sees no evil amid Syrian brutality, April 18). While a political rather than military solution is the correct approach, the Department of International Relations and Co-operation failed conspicuously in its statement to condemn the atrocity and illegality of the murderous usage of chemical weapons against innocent civilians by the Syrian dictatorship. Like apartheid, this amounts to a blatant crime against humanity. Our Constitution confirms SA’s commitment in this regard. However, to demonstrate its staunch ideological opposition to the West, the department has opted for opportunistic alliances at the behest of countries that regard international efforts to protect human rights as a western conspiracy. Obviously, the department has not adapted to the new leadership. Its Syria posture contradicts President Cyril Ramaphosa’s articulation of SA’s n...
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