Durban - Stern criticism of South Africa’s decision to host Exercise Mosi II drill in KwaZulu-Natal, which involves the host nation, Russia and China and continues into the new week, has not abated.
Some nations are already mulling over options on how to curtail relations with South Africa to some degree.
Another sore point for the naysayers was the fact that the drills coincided with the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24, 2022.
The exercise programme, which began last week and has Russia leading proceedings, is happening off the KwaZulu-Natal coast between the port cities of Durban and Richards Bay.
Some of the drills sailors from the three countries will participate in include groups inspecting free and captured vessels, rendering assistance to ships in distress and repelling enemy aerial attacks, reported the Russian press agency Tass.
According to Tass, South Africa was represented by the frigate Mendi on the exercise, while Russia was represented by the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and sea-going tanker Kama, China by the destroyer Huainan, frigate Rizhao and support ship Kekexilihu.
Steven Gruzd, head of Africa-Russia Project and African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at the SA Institute Of International Affairs, said Western states have expressed their displeasure about the exercises.
He said in the US, some Republicans in the House of Representatives launched a bill to review the US’s relationship with South Africa in light of Mosi II, but said this could backfire and draw South Africa closer to Russia and China.
“Europeans are also not happy. South Africa is taking a risk through these exercises. It may get away with it, but may also face some sort of trade or investment retaliation. “The timing is not advantageous to South Africa. The world’s attention will be drawn to these drills on the very anniversary of the Russian invasion.
“It seems insensitive at least, and provocative at best,” said Gruzd. South Africa has maintained, though, that it is merely exercising its sovereignty, an independent foreign policy and can collaborate with whomever it chooses. “It will not be bullied by other more powerful countries,” said Gruzd.
The South African Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans said the objective of the exercise was to increase the level of coordination and cooperation between the navies of the three participating countries, with the previous exercise taking place off Cape Town in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in November 2019.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was approached for comment but none were forthcoming by the time of going to print.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE