LETTER: Olivier’s opinion has no credibility given his historical actions

In his recent co-authored article Gerrit Olivier signs himself as a “former SA ambassador in Russia and Kazakhstan” ("SA has no idea of the consequences of siding with an autocratic war criminal”, March 31). It seems important to note that Olivier in fact served the apartheid state for a decade and was deployed to the Soviet Union, and subsequently the Russian Federation, as a servant of that state.

Apartheid was declared a crime against humanity by the UN in 1973, a full decade before Olivier signed up to serve it. He is described in a recent (2020) book as being an academic who was rolled out to oppose sanctions on SA because he was “close to the [apartheid] regime”.

All of which suggests that regardless of the merits of the Ukrainian situation, Olivier’s opinion really has no credibility whatsoever on such matters given his own historical actions.

I would suggest it also says a lot about the failure to hold servants of apartheid accountable after 1994 that the likes of Olivier have the audacity to write such pieces at all.

Dr Seán Mfundza Muller

Via email

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