Why is Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in South Africa?

“South Africa is known for championing human rights using diplomacy to bring all parties together. But it’s not as simple as that” - Thelela Ngcetane-Vika of the Wits School of Governance in Johannesburg.

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa is meeting his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky in the capital Pretoria today.

The two are expected to discuss the on-going war in Europe, trade and several other issues.

This comes a few days after Ramaphosa had a telephone conversation with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin about the conflict.

Today, Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja attempts to understand if the southern African nation has what it takes to help end the conflict which started in February 2022.

Some political observers argue that it will be a tricky assignment for Ramaphosa, considering his close proximity to Putin.

Relations between Russia and South Africa date back to the years of apartheid, when the then Soviet Union threw its weight behind black liberation movements.