LETTER: No material gain should outweigh a principled moral stand

SA’s stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine is one of many examples of the country’s moral deterioration under the ANC. What makes it worse is the insistent need to appear principled and above the fray, using hollow words such as "nonaligned" when in reality we are kowtowing to an Eastern European gangster state that offers us no real benefits as a country.

The defence that we owe Russia our loyalty for its support for the ANC and the anti-apartheid movement doesn’t negate our responsibility to speak truth to power. If we are indeed a friend of Russia, let us be a true friend that tells it when it is wrong and doesn’t sweep its sins under the rug.

Failure to censure Russia over Ukraine undermines our fealty to human rights enshrined in our constitution. There are no material benefits that can outweigh a principled moral stand, and there is no relationship worth keeping that makes you compromise your values.

Thapelo Mpai
Kempton Park

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