Volodymyr Zelensky is in South Africa. What can be achieved?
This marks the first visit by a Ukrainian Head of State to South Africa and follows President Cyril Ramaphosa's trip to Ukraine on 16 June 2023 as part of the Africa Peace Initiative.
Archive image: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Facebook/SA Presidency
CapeTalk and 702's Africa Melane interviews Dr Sonja Theron, Political Science lecturer at the University of Pretoria.
Listen below:
Today, President Cyril Ramaphosa will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on an official visit to South Africa at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Commenting on the visit, Theron emphasises the need to 'manage our expectations' regarding potential outcomes, suggesting that this may be part of Ukraine's charm offensive in Africa.
At the same time, she says that South Africa is also seeking to strategically assert its global influence.
However, Theron adds it is unlikely any major peace agreements will emerge from this visit.
"If you look at South Africa's broader foreign policy, it's part of a broader pattern where, yes, we're neutral on the conflict, but we always have to balance our pragmatic needs and our more principled approach."
- Dr Sonja Theron, Department of Political Sciences - University of Pretoria
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.