World Politics Review published on 16 March 2022 a commentary titled "South Africa Has Clearly Chosen a Side on the War in Ukraine" by James Hamill, University of Leicester.
Despite South Africa's professed neutrality, the author argues that Pretoria has sided with Russia for two reasons. The first is its close bilateral relationship with Russia and its partnership with Russia and China more broadly within the BRICS forum that also includes Brazil and India. The second explanation is the visceral anti-Westernism that permeates the ruling African National Congress.
