uMkhonto weSizwe Party leader Jacob Zuma has lambasted what he termed dangerous provocations by NATO and the West towards Russia.
Zuma said increased military support by NATO, particularly the provision of long-range weapons to Ukraine, has dangerously escalated tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
“The risk of nuclear conflict threatens all of humanity and the West’s reckless acts of warmongering are leading to this,” the party leader said in an official statement.
Furthermore, the MK Party believes that South Africa should support Russian sovereignty, saying the MK Party recognises Russia’s legitimate concerns about Nato expansion.
“We oppose any attempt to undermine the sovereignty of Russia, Belarus or any other state through foreign military aggression. As a member of BRICS and a long-time ally of Russia, South Africa should strongly oppose NATO’s interference in Ukraine, which is now escalating the war.
“Such reckless behaviour increases the risk of a wider global conflict that could drag Africa into a geopolitical struggle that is not in our interests,” the party said.
The party leader further emphasised its support for Russia, saying it was against the destructive influence of NATO.
Zuma urged all progressive forces in South Africa to speak out, not just the MK Party.
“Today MK is not only an ‘internal party’, but also a party looking to the future in the international arena. The Russian Federation did not start the war in the Ukraine. Russia is defending the rights of Russians in its ancestral territories.
“Since 2014, Ukrainian extremists have been killing civilians and brazenly oppressing the rights of the Russian-speaking population in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zapororizhzhia and Kherson regions.
“The actions of the Ukrainian authorities can be compared to the policy of apartheid. And today Ukraine, like the colonisers of South Africa before it, is supported by the countries of the West and the United States of America. Therefore, South Africa should support Russia in establishing a just world order.”
Zuma said by encouraging Ukraine to escalate hostilities, NATO once again risked becoming involved in war crimes.
“African countries should not be dragged into a Western agenda that serves only to fuelling global instability. The South African progressive forces should issue a joint statement condemning the actions of NATO and the West.
“Ideally, an interparliamentary commission or a Russia-South Africa committee could be set up to work out concrete ways of resolving the Ukrainian crisis,” he emphasised.
Russia’s nuclear doctrine, as announced by President Vladimir Putin on September 25, marked a dangerous shift in global security dynamics.
These changes lower the threshold for Russia’s potential use of nuclear weapons, particularly in response to any conventional attack by non-nuclear states supported by nuclear powers, such as NATO’s involvement in Ukraine.
Putin’s revised nuclear doctrine signals that any conventional attack on Russia when backed by nuclear-armed states like the US and NATO, could trigger a nuclear response.
This doctrine change directly challenges the West’s continued support for Ukraine, with advanced weaponry now capable of striking deep into Russian territory.
President Putin has made it clear that such actions are viewed as an existential threat to Russia’s sovereignty, justifying potential nuclear retaliation.
MK Party said the recent declaration by the Russian president that any conventional attack on Russia backed by a nuclear power would be treated as a joint attack significantly widens the scope of Russia’s nuclear response.
This, the party said, would raise concerns about miscalculations that could trigger catastrophic consequences.
“By encouraging Ukraine to escalate its military efforts, Nato risks involvement in war crimes. The use of weapons of mass destruction, either in retaliation or as a pre-emptive measure, would result in untold civilian casualties and irreversible environmental destruction.
“As a member of BRICS and a longstanding ally of Russia, South Africa and the MK Party must push for non-alignment and peaceful negotiations.
“African nations should not be drawn into the Western agenda, which serves only to fuel global instability. Instead, we must advocate for a ceasefire and peace talks.”
MK Party said it rejected the West’s dangerous provocations and called for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine.
“The world cannot afford a nuclear war, and it is incumbent upon BRICS and Africa to champion peace and diplomacy.
“Africa’s role must be one of peace and dialogue. We cannot afford to be drawn into a conflict that serves the interests of Western powers at the expense of global security,” Zuma has affirmed.
Political analysts said the party could push for the establishment of an interparliamentary committee made up of progressive parties or a Russia-South Africa committee to be set up to work out concrete ways of resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
The Star