PREVIEW
President Cyril Ramaphosa appears unwilling to risk any action that may further anger the Trump administration
South Africa has scrapped plans to hold a naval exercise with China and Russia in November in a bid to avoid diplomatic embarrassment as it would have coincided with a G20 summit hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
In a statement, Department of Defence Head of Communication Siphiwe Dlamini said the postponement of Exercise Mosi III was ‘in view of activities related to South Africa’s G20 Presidency’.
The event would have involved Russian and Chinese warships being in South African waters.
The postponement will help ‘ensure that the exercises do not impact on the logistical, security and other arrangements associated with South Africa’s G20 Presidency,’ Dlamini claimed.
In reality, the decision may be more about persuading United States President Donald Trump to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg on 22-23 November. That set piece event will mark the end of a South African presidency, with the US government taking up the mantle (AC Vol 66 No 16, Tariff calamity deepens rift with Washington).
The Trump administration has boycotted meetings and summits hosted by Pretoria this year. Among African governments, Trump has singled out Ramaphosa’s for harsh censure, imposing 30% tariffs on exports to the US and making false claims of genocide being perpetrated against white farmers (AC Vol 66 No 11, Why Musk and Rupert hold key to the Ramaphosa-Trump summit).
However, it is surprising that it has taken so long to postpone the military exercises with two of the US’s main adversaries, especially given that Russia remains subject to a raft Western sanctions because of its war against Ukraine.
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