Mbalula confident Ramaphosa will reject SA-Ukraine visa agreement

African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula asserts that President Cyril Ramaphosa will refuse to sign the visa-free access agreement with Ukraine.

This comes as Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya accused Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber of jumping the gun by announcing that he had signed a historic agreement granting visa free access to South Africa for Ukrainian holders of diplomatic, official and service passports – and vice versa.

WILL RAMAPHOSA SIGN SA-UKRAINE VISA DEAL?

Following Schreiber’s announcement on X (formerly Twitter), Magwenya said Ramaphosa is yet to sign the minute authorising Schreiber to sign the agreement with Ukraine.

“It is unclear how the Minister can announce signature of an international agreement without prior formal authorisation to do so,” he posted on X.

On Monday, ANC SG Mbalula accused the DA of being disrespectful and undermining the ANC.

Mbalula said the DA is undermining them because they [ANC] did not achieve an outright majority in the national and provincial elections held in May. However, this does not mean that even with the less voters they have, they will succumb.

“I know Matamela [Ramaphosa] will never sell us out in leading the ANC in the GNU…There’s a chap who said he signed a deal with the Ukraine and is being disrespectful, but I know the president will not sign that. I am not anxious,” he said interchanging between Xhosa and English while addressing ANC NEC members in Boksburg.

The ANC, DA, IFP and other political parties formed the Government of National Unity (GNU) as no party achieved an outright majority to govern the country on its own after the elections.

DA WELCOMES PROPOSED DEAL

Meanwhile, the DA has welcomed the proposed SA-Ukraine visa-free access deal.

DA deputy spokesperson on International Relations and Cooperation Ryan Smith said this development is a poignant show of solidarity by South Africa with the people of Ukraine.

Smith said they welcome the announcement as a crucial move to advance South African diplomacy and position the country as a diplomatic authority in the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“South Africa’s recognition of Ukraine and its right to sovereignty is a far better approach to addressing this invasion than the ANC’s open support of Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and his conquest of Russian empire which is a clear violation of international law,” he said.