Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says the Russia warship is not ‘welcome in the Mother City’. This as a Russian military frigate, the Admiral Gorshkov, docked in Cape Town harbour this week.
It is set to participate in joint naval drills with South Africa and China. The exercise raises concerns as it coincides with the one year anniversary of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. ‘Mosi’ is the name of the event and means ‘smoke’ in Tswana. February 17 to 27 are the dates of the event off the port cities of Durban and Richards Bay.
The Ukrainian community in South Africa also gave the cold shoulder to the warship. Protesters lined the docks holding posters saying ‘No Russian missiles’.
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We are not hosting this warship, nor is it welcome in the Mother City. Cape Town will not be complicit in Russia’s evil war. @PresidencyZA must answer for his complicity. #RWSGFY #VoetsekRussianWarship https://t.co/3XOu82xOAL
— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) February 13, 2023
Warship not welcome in Cape Town
This is not the first time that Mayor Hill-Lewis expresses unhappiness over Russia vessels docking in Cape Town. Last month, the Akademik Alexander Karpinksy – a Russian seismic ship – docked in the harbour. The Mayor told Daily Maverick that “Russian state vessels should not be here”.
We are not hosting this warship, nor is it welcome in the Mother City. Cape Town will not be complicit in Russia’s evil war
Over 350 South African military personnel with participate in the exercises. Last month, the SA military said this was with the “aim of sharing operational skills and knowledge” with Russia and China. This will be the second such exercises between the naval forces.
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I am sure that such powerful weapons will make it possible to reliably protect Russia from potential external threats
The Zircon missile system on the frigate ‘has no equivalent’. This is according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the launch of the warship for a training mission in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea.
The opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has denounced the joint drills. This is according to Kobus Marais – a party member of parliament told AFP.
This vessel will be sailing towards the Black Sea and taking part in the invasion against Ukraine…That can very easily make South Africa complicit in these war crimes…We are drawn into the propaganda show of Russia
South Africa refuses to outwardly condemn the invasion of Ukraine. A war that has largely isolated Russia on the international front. Local government says it wants to stay neutral in the conflict.
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