The unity government of the Republic of South Africa has been rocked by a dispute between the main political parties – The African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance, in connection with the agreement to grant visa-free access to Ukrainians with diplomatic, official or service passports, the Associated Press reported.
The agreement was announced by Interior Minister Leon Schreiber of the Democratic Alliance, but was rejected by President Cyril Ramaphosa's spokesman and his African National Congress (ANC).
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said today that Ramaphosa would not sign the agreement despite Schreiber's announcement over the weekend.
South Africa has officially taken a non-aligned position on the Russian-Ukrainian war and called for dialogue to end the conflict, while continuing to maintain diplomatic relations with both sides.
However, the Democratic Alliance condemns Russia and openly supports Kiev, and in 2022 its chairman John Steenhuizen visited Ukraine.