Can a bunch of Wallys bring peace to Ukraine?

If successive South African leaders had not squandered the moral authority bequeathed by Nelson Mandela, Africa’s Ukraine peace mission might have a better chance of success.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, leader of the African initiative, lacks credibility. Votes on the wrong side during the United Nations’ debates on the Russian invasion carry his imprimatur. So, too, unconvincing statements about being “nonaligned” while siding with ANC paymaster Vladimir Putin.

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Much is being made of Ramaphosa referring to the conflict as a war; affirming sovereignty; and calling for the “return of children”. He did not say that Russia invaded Ukraine, violated its sovereignty and abducted thousands of children. There is no moral equivalence between the sides.

It is illusory to imagine a handful of African leaders have the clout to persuade Putin, who rained missiles on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to coincide with their arrival. Putin also unveiled a year-old peace agreement brokered by Türkiye, a genuine power broker in this sphere.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky didn’t exactly glad-hand Ramaphosa. African countries have a vested interest. Russia and Ukraine are major suppliers of grains and fertiliser, which have become scarce and more expensive because of the war. But that doesn’t give Africa influence.

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Ramaphosa’s office said this was “the first time Africa is united behind the resolution of a conflict outside of our continent, and where you have a group of African heads of state and government travelling together”.

He was undercut when the presidents of Egypt, Uganda and the Republic of Congo pulled out. It’s too early to tell whether the pro-Russian ANC, which receives donations from Putin’s connections, will follow Ramaphosa’s apparent change.

US ambassador Reuben Brigety’s May accusation that SA was supplying weapons to Russia should have been a wake-up call for Ramaphosa. But the slow learner had to watch the rand collapse. Then he had to endure lectures by successive groups of business leaders before realising he had to change tune.

Some things have not changed. This includes the incompetence, hubris and sense of entitlement which certain South Africans carry. Major-General Wally Rhoode, head of the Presidential Protection Service, exemplified this.

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When Polish authorities questioned the documentation for the people and cargo on a South African Airways plane that landed in Warsaw, Rude Wally cried racism and sabotage. There are understandably logistical challenges when travelling with 120 armed security personnel and “at least 12 huge cases” of arms.

The size of the delegation and the nature of the cargo were bound to attract scrutiny, especially after the allegations of South Africa loading weaponry onto a Russian ship in Simon’s Town.

Such obstacles can be overcome with professionalism and finesse. However, journalist Pieter du Toit, who was on the plane during the 26-hour ordeal, said what they saw was “a leadership team out of its depth, not only in planning the mission but utterly lacking in the ability to execute and, even worse, in negotiating the fraught environment of international relationship management and diplomacy”.

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Can a bunch of Wallys bring peace to Ukraine? When this war ends, as it must, will Cyril be hailed as a Madiba?