News24.com | Russia-Ukraine war: SA's neutral position 'coming to an end' with war games - Ukrainian Association

A small group of pro-Ukraine demonstrators gathered in Durban last week ahead of the SA-Russia-China military exercise.

• The Ukrainian Association of South Africa (UAZA) has condemned the country's decision to invite Russia to participate in a naval exercise.
• UAZA says South Africa runs the risk of rubbing some of its big trading partners up the wrong way.
• Pro-Ukraine protests opposing the naval exercise in KwaZulu-Natal are set to take place in Durban, Cape Town and Pretoria this week.

The Ukrainian Association of South Africa (UAZA) will embark on a series of protests this week to demonstrate its "anger" over South Africa's continued involvement with Russia.

UAZA said South Africa's decision to invite Russia to participate in its Mosi II naval exercise was unfortunate because it would take place "at a time when Russia is engaging in the invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine".

The exercise, which will be taking place for the second time, will see South Africa, Russia and China showcase their finest armaments over a 10-day period along the country's coastline between Richards Bay and Durban.

Activities linked to the naval exercise commenced on Friday, 17 February and were set to end on Monday, 27 February.

READ | Stellenbosch University says collaboration with Russia is 'impossible'

Katya Fedkina, UAZA's spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, told News24 this amounted to "South Africa's neutral position on the war in Ukraine coming to an end".

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said the tri-nation naval exercise would "strengthen the already flourishing relations between the three countries".

But Fedkina said South Africa had nothing to gain from the military showcase and referred to it as "war games".

She claimed the exercise would "dent South Africa's relations with its big trading partners such as the United States and the European Union, which have taken the side of Ukraine".

She said:

"Millions of Ukrainians have become refugees, and thousands of women and children have been raped as a result of [Vladimir] Putin's war. Is this what South Africa wants to emulate?" she questioned.

Fedkina's statement comes on the back of data from the United Nations Refugee Agency. According to the agency, eight million Ukrainians have become refugees, with 90% of refugees being women, children and the elderly.

In addition, 5.5 million Ukrainians have been internally displaced, and some 17.7 million people need humanitarian aid and protection.

Fedkina said several protests already took place in South Africa last week but "more concerted" demonstrations against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and South Africa's reluctance to condemn Russia would take place in Menlo Park, Pretoria, on Wednesday, in front of the City Hall in Cape Town on Friday, and in front of the BAT Centre in Durban on Friday.