Ramaphosa’s diplomatic act shows he’s a flop

WE HAVE forgotten something about Ramaphosa. He played a key role at Codesa – the Convention for a Democratic South Africa, the bilateral and multiparty negotiations to end apartheid.

So buoyed was he with the outstanding achievement on his CV that he led a delegation of African leaders to Europe to get the two warring nations to the negotiating table to end the Ukraine conflict. If he could pull it off, it would enhance his tattered image.

Phala Phala, Eskom and his corrupt and inefficient government would be forgotten. He would go down in history as the great peace negotiator, a great son of South Africa and may even stand a chance to win the Noble Peace Prize.

But Europe proved a bridge too far to cross for Ramaphosa and his team. Though the African leaders were cordially received in Kyiv and St Petersburg, neither side would budge. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted Russia to pull out from all Ukraine territory it had captured.

Putin, on the other hand, was not going to let the blood of an estimated 25000 soldiers killed in the conflict go in vain. Ramaphosa gave Putin his 10-point peace plan but, as civil as he was to the delegation, it was like a mouse pleading to the big Russian bear.

While they were at the negotiating table in Kyiv, they had to duck for cover as missiles rained down on the city. Putin did not care if one of the missiles could have hit the building where the African delegates were meeting with Zekensky.

Dejected, Ramaphosa and his team of African leaders had to put their tails between their legs and head back home. Even worse, is trying to solve problems in Europe when your own continent is crying out for help.

But going to Europe to end the Ukraine war was the more prestigious and headline-grabbing thing to do. In the end it was all in vain.

T MARKANDAN | Kloof