Tim Mak
Good morning to readers; Kyiv remains in #Ukrainian hands.
In 2022, retired Navy admiral Arne saw a sanctioned Russian ship in the harbor. It was unloading weapons.
He didn't know it then, but it became part of a major scandal: one that shows how close #SouthAfrica is to #russia
Tim Mak
If you want to read the full issue about South Africa and a travelog from my time there, click on the link below.
Tim Mak
Today’s Dog of War is this pup whose photo I took in a sushi shop back in #ukraine not far from the frontlines in #Kramatorsk
Tim Mak
"We have quite a few families who were directly affected by the Holodomor," Kachur said. “In South Africa, unfortunately, children still die from malnutrition. So we understand, and relate to that issue… and that’s why the plate says what it says.”
Tim Mak
Kachur, dressed that day in a striking vyshyvanka, was hopeful that breaking the ANC’s majority grip on the government will open the South African government to a more pro-Ukrainian position.
Tim Mak
Her efforts ultimately led to the formation of the Ukrainian Association of #southafrica which celebrates their nation’s culture and history – and serves as an organizing point for political protest.
I first met Kachur in a park near central Cape Town, which is home to a striking bench decorated in a #Ukrainian style. On top, it features a stark plaque with a message of sorrow and solidarity, commemorating the famous famine in Ukraine nearly 100 years ago.
Tim Mak
...due to corruption and poor management.
And both feature large booms during the day. Kyiv, due to incessant Russian attacks; #capetown because of a terrible tradition known as the ‘noon gun,’ which has fired off a cannon at midday since 1806.
Tim Mak
One of my kind guides in the city of #CapeTown was Dzvinka Kachur, one of more than 1,000 Ukrainians now living in #southafrica according to the #Ukrainian embassy. Another study had the number as high as 6,663 in 2019.
Tim Mak
To read the full issue about our reporting in South Africa, click on the link in our bio and consider subscribing!
Tim Mak
Hi there – it’s Tim here!
Cape Town and Kyiv don’t share many similarities.
But on the list are 1) power outages and 2) daytime explosions.
Both suffer from a regular loss of electricity – in S. Africa, frequent outages happen known as ‘load shedding.'
Tim Mak
On the anniversary of D-Day, President Macron announced that several fighter jets would be transferred to Ukraine and France will be involved in training more Ukrainian troops.
Yesterday, Macron repeated that Ukraine can use French weapons to hit Russia and emphasized that it “was not us [France] who attacked Ukraine” and the limits set on the use of French weapons to attack Russian territory by Ukraine is “set by the actions of Russia.”
Tim Mak
The German media outlet Handelsblatt reported that Angela Merkel had information about Russia’s intention to blackmail Europe with its supply of natural gas and chose not to share it.
Tim Mak
NEWS OF THE DAY:
After falling short of a majority for the first time, the ANC is racing to put together a working government. The pro-Ukraine Democratic Alliance had enough seats for a majority, but it has said it would not work with third- or fourth-place parties, the MK or the EFF. “Any deal with the DA would be welcomed by financial markets but unpopular with many ANC supporters who regard it as the party of South Africa's wealthy white minority,” Reuters reported.
Tim Mak
Next week, a Russian nuclear powered submarine will stop in Havana. The vehicle will not be carrying any weapons, and so the “stopover… does not represent a threat to the region,” the Cuban ministry of the armed forces announced.
The day before this announcement, the U.S. had said that as a response to the U.S.’s support for Ukraine, Russian warships they were tracking were expected to conduct military exercises in the Caribbean.
Tim Mak
Many countries in #Africa have asserted a neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of #ukraine For many of these countries, the position is their way of asserting their independence from both the #West *and* #russia
Tim Mak
To read the rest of the issue and learn about South Africa's positioning towards Russia and it's invasion of Ukraine, click the link.
Tim Mak
And with a new Cold War brewing between Russia and the West, some of these players are falling into historical patterns.
Arne Söderlund was not one of those leaders with Soviet-era nostalgia. He had spent 47 years in the S. African Navy. After the military, he set up a museum.
Tim Mak
In the end, an official inquiry by the South African government found no evidence that South Africa had sent weapons to Russia. However, it did find that the Russian ship had delivered weapons from Moscow to South Africa that were ordered before the COVID pandemic.
Tim Mak
For example, the #SouthAfrican navy took part in drills with #Russia in the Indian Ocean last year – including with a Russian frigate with a large 'Z' on its smokestack. The South African government, led by the #africannationalcongress has mirrored #Russian talking points.
Tim Mak
Many African leaders, #SouthAfricas included, had deep ties with the #SovietUnion during the late 20th C. During their time as a revolutionary party in exile, the #Soviets helped back the #africannationalcongress who went on to rule S. Africa for the past 30 years.
Tim Mak
The docking of 'Lady R' turned into an international fiasco when the United States Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, alleged that the ship had received a cargo of #SouthAfrican weapons, for use by Russia in the war in Ukraine.
Tim Mak
In an instant, the episode exploded into a diplomatic incident. The docking of the Lady R illustrates #SouthAfricas – and the continent’s – contentious positioning on #russias invasion of #ukraine
Tim Mak
In this issue, we reported from Cape Town to explore why African countries have been so ambivalent towards Ukraine, and so friendly towards Russia.
It's a mix of historical ties and many African countries' desire to assert its independence from the West.
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