DIRCO’s Diplomatic Hypocrisy in Venezuela

Statement by Ryan Smith MP – DA Spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO):

The Department of International Relations and Cooperations’ (DIRCO) appeal to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to urgently convene to discuss the capture and prosecution of Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, by the United States of America (USA) smacks of hypocrisy and contradiction as DIRCO failed to take a similar stance on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

This exposes the politically selective and hypocritical means in which the African National Congress (ANC) conducts South Africa’s diplomatic relations on the international stage.

Diplomacy cannot be built on contradictions and inconsistencies.

In the context of the situation in Venezuela, the ANC has again decided to pursue it’s entrenched party-political interests in our foreign policy by referring the USA to the UNSC when no such appeal for intervention was ever made when Russian President, Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine and was found guilty of human rights abuses for child trafficking.

DIRCO cannot cite international law or make reference to refraining from “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State”, or the fact that “military invasions against sovereign States yield only instability and deepen crisis” when it has shown diplomatic cowardice by turning a blind eye to the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty by the Russian Federation.

To quote DIRCO’s own letter to the UNSC: “The stability of the international system depends not only on the respect but on the consistent application of these established legal norms.”

One can only assume that the ANC has adopted a two-faced approach to South Africa’s foreign policy to protect its own party interests over the interests of South Africa.

This is a gross betrayal of the values and principles enshrined in the South African constitution.

The ANC cannot expect South Africa to be taken seriously by this recent appeal to the UNSC when it continues to position itself as a ‘mediator’ in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) strongly opposes DIRCO being politicised to pursue party political interests instead of pursuing foreign policy in the national interest.

This approach has rendered South Africa an inconsistent, unreliable, and unserious player on the international stage. There is no room for ambiguity or the interpretation of a violation of state sovereignty.

That principle applies equally to all international aggressors, Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation included.

The ANC no longer holds a political majority and cannot continue to show diplomatic hypocrisy and the selective application of international law in South Africa’s international engagements.

The DA condemns this development, and demands DIRCO to act consistently in international law or refrain from embarrassing South Africa in the international arena.