Middle East & Africa | Not so neutral

Why South Africa is drifting into the Sino-Russian orbit

The ANC elite is full of Russian sympathisers

A South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier walks past the Russian military frigate "Admiral Gorshkov" docked at the port in Richards Bay on February 22, 2023. - South Africa embarked on February 17, 2023 on a 10-day joint military exercise with Russia and China.The controversial drills, dubbed "Mosi" meaning "smoke" in the local Tswana language, are taking place off the port cities of Durban and Richards Bay. (Photo by Guillem SARTORIO / AFP) (Photo by GUILLEM SARTORIO/AFP via Getty Images)
Image: AFP
|JOHANNESBURG

South africa’s navy, like much of the country, is dilapidated. Its fleet spends less than half the time on the seas that it did a decade ago. It has few working ships, a result of budget cuts by the ruling African National Congress (anc). So it makes sense that the country would welcome better fleets that might teach it a thing or two.

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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Not so neutral”

The future of Ukraine

From the February 25th 2023 edition

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