South Africa defends military drills with Russia and China

International relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor on Monday dismissed criticism of joint military drills with Russia and China, saying hosting exercises with “friends” was the “natural course of relations”.

She was speaking during a meeting with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who was visiting South Africa 11 months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A South African official, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak, said Lavrov would also visit Eswatini, Botswana and Angola.

South Africa is one of Russia's most important allies on a continent divided over the invasion and Western attempts to isolate Moscow because of its military actions.

Some opposition parties and South Africa's small Ukrainian community have said hosting Lavrov is insensitive.

South Africa says it is impartial on the Ukraine conflict and has abstained from voting on UN resolutions on the war.

It has close ties with Moscow, a friend of the governing ANC when it was a liberation movement opposing white minority rule, and will host a joint military exercise with Russia and China on its east coast from February 17 to 27.

“All countries conduct military exercises with friends worldwide. It's the natural course of relations,” Pandor, alongside Lavrov, told reporters in Pretoria.

The exercise will be under way on February 24, the first anniversary of what Russia calls its “special military operation”. Ukraine and its allies say Russia has launched an imperial land grab.

President Cyril Ramaphosa's government has expressed a desire to mediate in the Ukraine conflict as a neutral party.

Pandor emphasised that though South Africa had initially called on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine unilaterally, that was no longer its position.

“To repeat that ... to Mr Lavrov today [Monday] would make me appear quite simplistic and infantile, given the massive transfer of arms [to Ukraine] ... and all that has occurred [since],” she said.

South Africa has little trade with Russia but champions a world view — favoured by China and Russia — that seeks to undo perceived US-hegemony in favour of a “multipolar” world in which geopolitical power is more diffuse.

Lavrov said the military drills were transparent and Russia, China and South Africa had provided all relevant information.

The South African armed forces said last week the exercise was a “means to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China”.

Russia's state Tass news agency reported on Monday a Russian warship armed with new-generation hypersonic cruise weapons would participate in the drills.

Lavrov was visiting before a Russia-Africa summit in July. There was no official public comment from the Ukrainian embassy but officials said it had asked the South African government to help push a Ukrainian peace plan.

Pandor has said South Africa will not be dragged into taking sides and has accused the West of condemning Russia while ignoring issues such as Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory.

“As South Africa, we consistently articulate that we will always stand ready to support the peaceful resolution of conflicts on the [African] continent and throughout the globe,” Pandor said in earlier remarks on Monday.