EDITORIAL: SA is Moscow’s mule

If there was still any doubt about where SA’s allegiance lies in the Ukraine war, defence minister Thandi Modise will have put that to rest with a mortar-like thud this week.

On Monday, Modise flew to Moscow to attend a conference focused on all things security. Geopolitical tensions in Africa and the Middle East, international terrorism, the conflict in Syria, the global fight against Islamic State. And a partridge in a pear tree.

Everything, in fact, but what is arguably the greatest current threat to international peace: Vladimir Putin’s murderous empire-building outing in Ukraine.

While Modise cosied up to her warmongering counterpart, her spokesperson, Cornelius Monama, with nary a trace of irony, proclaimed SA “ready to work with all peace-loving nations”.

The big takeout (other than rank hypocrisy): the conference is an opportunity to “share practical ideas” and expose SA to “innovative strategies to address defence and security challenges that confront Africa”.

If these include a how-to guide for illegally invading a sovereign state, a masterclass in misinformation and tips on having a shadowy mercenary group further your interests abroad, then Modise has certainly found herself in the right company.