By Alec Hogg*
You’d have needed every seat in Ellis Park – and quite a few thousand outside – to accommodate all those who have watched the recording of Friday’s interview with RW Johnson on the SA-arms-to-Russia allegations (link here). It’s one-way traffic on their interpretation – of the 1 000 comments, 95% support the former Oxford Don.
Those are potent data. Suggesting few rational South Africans swallowed Saturday’s State and quasi-State media headlines that the US ambassador had “apologised unreservedly”. RW Johnson’s excellent op-ed (click here) says the American diplomat did nothing of the kind. There was no retraction of allegations. Nor is there likely to be.
___STEADY_PAYWALL___Johnson advises Cyril Ramaphosa to up his game. This is Big League. Bluster and bullshit don’t work there. Neither does the old liberation party playbook of playing both sides. Johnson offers a brilliant assessment of the choices SA must make, with dire consequences for the nation – and the economy – of siding against democracy.
The only upside in all of this is that Pretoria is actually paying attention. Shudder to think how a post-2024 ANC/EFF coalition would react in the same circumstances. Illustrating the high stakes, and reminding us how avoiding this Doomsday Coalition requires opposition parties to come to their collective senses. Like yesterday.Â
PS – Got this rational perspective from community member Garth Brook who wrote:
“May I suggest a heads-up on this one. Instead of selling off SA made goods I see it more than likely behaving as a middlemen. The arms industry is as rotten as hell – we know this.
“There is also the matter of invoices, manuals and internal marking of components such as semiconductors. Etc.
“My view on this one is that Russia needs type “A” equipment made by company “x” and not SA equipment. SA has access to overseas arms traders and can make the necessary purchases with end user certificates – which the ANC is disregarding. The money is big, the risks are high and profits going into private pockets. It’s sanction busting.”
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