By Sikho Matiwane
The Russia Africa Summit, which is being hosted in St Petersburg, Russia, has heightened tensions between the West and Africa.
The United States and France have threatened several African delegations attending the Summit.
This is hardly surprising given their propensity of inhabiting the epicentre of conversation.
Nomvula Mokonyane's remarks on the 25th of July (Wednesday) amid her interview with Newzroom Africa in St Petersburg divulge that South Africa is certainly one of the nations pestered by the United States and France.
When questioned about the threats, Mokonyane stated that the ANC has ongoing interactions with the United States Embassy in South Africa, and that the ANC's Treasurer-General went to the US for additional engagements with the US.
"We're trying to avoid being trapped in one relationship," she said. She went on to say that South Africa would want the chance to reaffirm its stand on alternative creation and diversity.
In his opening remarks on the first day of the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin reassured African leaders that they were in a country of friends and like-minded people.
They certainly are. Russia and China have always stood behind African countries during times of hardship, and unlike the United States, they are on the legitimate side of history.
A month ago, Kenya's president attended the Global Financing Pact Summit, and in his speech, he pointed out that African leaders are frequently summoned like young boys and girls and intimidated to attend summits in the West, failing which the West will rescind any prior agreements/cooperation. He stated that conferences organized by Western countries are merely for spectacle; they make pledges but fail to fulfil them. South Africa's president was among those present, and he conveyed his displeasure with the West, claiming that during Covid-19, the West treated African leaders like beggars by hoarding vaccines while China and Russia went beyond what was necessary to safeguard human lives in Africa.
Russia has a lot to offer Africa through this conference, particularly in terms of the blue economy. The United States and the West must recognise that Russia is not and has never been an adversary of Africa; in fact, Russia has helped African countries even when doing so was unfashionable.
We have friends in America and the West. Russia resembles family.
* Sikho Matiwane is an established entrepreneur and director at Matiwane Diplomatic Consulting.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.