By staff reporter
Addressing the nation on Sunday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa set the stage for the coming BRICS summit, which is set to commence in Sandton on Tuesday.
President Ramaphosa invited South Africans to show their customary warmth and make the BRICS delegates — from the nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — feel welcome.
He said that since the dawn of democracy in 1994, the country’s policy had been to achieve peace through negotiation, not war.
“We must silence the guns to end the ongoing conflict on the continent and bring peace to Africa,” he said.
South Africa is providing support to Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo in their struggles, as well as supporting Palestine and western Sahara. “We are not neutral on matters of principle,” he said, “but we will not be drawn into a contest between global powers.”
He said South Africa welcomed the move to have Ukrainian children repatriated from Russia, and for the Black Sea corridor to be re-opened to facilitate the movement of grain.
He mentioned that this is Chinese President Xi Jinping’s fourth state visit to South Africa and that many trade agreements will be signed in days to come.
“BRICS is responsible for a quarter of the global economy,” Ramaphosa said.
“It accounts for a fifth of global trade and includes 40% of the world’s population. South Africa supports the expansion of BRICS, and over 20 countries have formally applied for membership.’
Ramaphosa said Africa was at the centre of South Africa’s foreign policy, and mentioned the strength of the mining, vehicle and manufacturing sectors in the country.
“For every rand we attract, we create jobs,” he said.
The focus of his speech on South Africa’s foreign policy emphasised stability and a “more inclusive” world. “Dialogue and diplomacy are the only way to achieve peace,” he said. “Our aim is the protection of our national sovereignty and the prosperity of our citizens.”
