Why is South Africa's new government arguing about Ukraine?

South Africa has experienced a number of firsts this year.  Most notably, a Government of National Unity (GNU) came to power. It is comprised of the once dominant African National Congress (ANC), the former opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and several smaller parties. The coalition is the first of its kind in modern South Africa.

But barely four months after it was formed, the main coalition partners are clashing over Ukraine. Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber triggered the discord when he signed a reciprocal agreement with Kyiv for visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders. 

The DA politician called Ukraine a "valued ally and friend" and explained that he was looking forward to seeing President Cyril Ramaphosa attach his signature. What followed made it obvious that Schreiber had acted on own initiative.

A spokesman for Ramaphosa, who heads the GNU and the ANC, said: "It is unclear how the minister can announce the signing of an international agreement without prior formal approval." 

That statement has sparked speculation that there were even more critical reactions from the president behind the scenes.

No cohesion in foreign policy

The two leading coalition partners are known to have different ideas on foreign policy.  

"There is no cohesion between the ANC and DA on foreign policy issues, there are no discussions, and so the differences will come to light," political analyst Daniel Silke told DW. 

The two parties are still tussling about the extent to which they can differentiate themselves from each other, he said.

Silke believes the timing of the announcement on the visa deal with Ukraine undermines the historical ties between the ANC and Moscow that predates Russia's war in Ukraine.

There was no question that Ramaphosa would travel to Russia for the BRICS summit . Russia was a "valued ally" of South Africa, Ramaphosa said. Schreiber would later use those exact words to refer to Ukraine.

Ramaphosa's warm relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has earned him sharp criticism from DA Chairman John Steenhuisen. The DA, according to Steenhuisen, does not recognize an authoritarian regime, especially one that is involved in a controversial military conflict, as a legitimate ally.

No DA cabinet minister accompanied Ramaphosa to the BRICS summit in Kazan.

Dissatisfaction in the unity government

In an interview with the South African Broadcast Corporation (SABC), political analyst Lesiba Teffo found no reason to fuss over the remarks by the DA chairman.

"This is no surprise to me, the DA has never taken a pro-Russian position in its history... the party takes its cues mainly from the West, the United States," Teffo said.

The DA is seen as business-friendly and active in engaging Western governments. The ANC, on the other hand, pursues closer relations with its partners in BRICS countries — Russia, Brazil, India and China, and, more recently, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

The ANC has applied a policy of non-alignment since it entered government after decades as an apartheid liberation movement.

The ANC and the DA need to show more maturity, according to Teffo. "They simply have to make peace with the fact that they have to work together."

In principle, the ANC supports the agreement with Ukraine — the previous ANC all-party government had even initiated the plans. The presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, admitted that talks with Ukraine on the visa waiver began in 2020, but there were delays due to the pandemic. 

"The agreement will facilitate the travel of our high-ranking officials participating in the talks on the peace formula," he said. The imminent signing had also been announced on the president's website before Schreiber made the move public. However, some agreements with Ukraine were still to be finalized before the planned signing. Ukraine had wanted to obtain visa waivers for all its citizens.

GNU will not fail because of its foreign policy

Moletsi Mbeki, chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and brother of former President Thabo Mbeki, sees the discord within the GNU as somewhat exaggerated. 

In an interview with broadcaster Newzroom Afrika, Mbeki said cabinet ministers must adhere to an existing protocol of communication and announce decisions via official government channels, whether it suits the DA or not.

Political analyst Silke believes that the controversy over Ukraine reflects a general dissatisfaction within the GNU. But the alliance is expected to eventually pursue a coherent national foreign policy.

"In terms of the coalition agreement, the ANC expected that, as the larger party, it would continue to set the foreign policy direction in South Africa, which is clearly much more Russia-friendly than the DA's policy," Silke told DW.

Disagreements over policy issues within the GNU are likely to continue, according to Silke. 

South Africa is in a deep economic crisis with high unemployment, price increases, recurring power cuts and infrastructure issues. The outlooks of the ANC and the DA have often diverged on how to address those problems.

"Foreign policy can create tensions, but the GNU will not fail because of this," said Silke.

This article was originally published in German.

Edited by: Benita van Eyssen