By Thapelo Molefe
In a bid to strengthen bilateral relations, South Africa and Ukraine have made significant progress on a visa-free access agreement to SA for diplomatic service and official passport holders.
However, the deal remains unsigned, pending completion of diplomatic processes.
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola confirmed the development during a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, in Pretoria on Monday.
“It is imperative that we manage to identify areas of mutual benefit for both our countries, to take our bilateral relations to another level,” he stated.
This follows a public disagreement between Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, which unfolded across social media platforms over the weekend.
Regarding the visa free access agreement, Lamola noted: “The signing of the long-awaited agreement on visa waiver for diplomatic service and official passports will follow the diplomatic processes. Once those processes have been concluded, the agreement will then be concluded.”
“But we will always stand firm on the positions that are in line with the policies of the South African government, our Constitution and our foreign policy.
“If we end up not signing, it will be on the basis that is not in line with that. But… [if] it is aligned to what we believe should be included and we will then participate and sign. Just like we did to raise the issue of the participation of Russia to find a solution, we will continue because we see that process in that context.”
Ukraine has also requested reciprocity for ordinary citizens, which SA is considering.
“We have also noted your request for reciprocity with regards to ordinary citizens… We will process this matter through our own internal mechanisms and will be able to give you feedback through diplomatic channels,” Lamola assured.
The meeting also touched on global conflicts, with Lamola emphasising South Africa’s commitment to peaceful resolution.
“We believe that in this conflict, it is important that all the warring factions are on the table and they can be able to engage. They cannot only meet on the battlefield, because any peaceful resolution will come through diplomatic engagements and peaceful negotiations,” he said.
Schreiber announced that the country had granted visa-free access to SA for Ukrainian holders of diplomatic, official and service passports.
He expressed pride in this historic move, highlighting Ukraine’s valued alliance with SA, dating back to the country’s struggle against apartheid.
Schreiber went onto to praise Ukraine’s unwavering support, saying: “We continue to see Ukraine as a valued ally, who supported us right from the beginning, from the days of our struggle against apartheid, right through to now.”
However, Magwenya quickly raised concerns about the timing of the announcement, questioning whether Ramaphosa had formally authorised Schreiber’s signing of the agreement.
Magwenya’s statement sparked speculation about internal government dynamics, as he pointed out that “it is unclear how the minister can announce the signature of an international agreement without prior formal authorisation”.
South Africa has long been an ally of Russia.
Meanwhile, the EFF has strongly condemned the decision by Schreiber, who is from the DA, to grant the visa-free access. The EFF characterised the agreement as a betrayal of SA’s long-standing relationship with Russia, which was also a fellow member of the Brics alliance.
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