BRICS meeting in South Africa
Even in his absence, Putin sets the tone
By Nicole Macheroux-Denault, Cape Town
6/2/2023 6:53 p.m
At the Cape of Good Hope, a counterpoint to the West is forming: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa come together at ministerial level and practice solidarity. The Russian war of aggression looms over the meeting. Only the handling of it is predominantly different than in the rest of the world.
While Europe is gathering in Moldova to send a clear signal of support to Moscow, a two-day foreign ministers’ meeting of the five BRICS countries is taking place in the deep global South, more precisely in Cape Town, South Africa. The confederation of states made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is positioning itself increasingly aggressively as a counterpoint to the western-style G7. For Beijing and Moscow, BRICS is a wonderful cloak under which new alliances with Africa can be forged and the world order can be reorganized. Although he is not present himself, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also set the tone in Cape Town.
The Twelve Apostles Hotel is secluded on a scenic Cape Town coastal drive that connects the pricey tourist hotspot of Camps Bay and the luxury villa enclave of Llandudno. It’s a relic from colonial times. British dust everywhere. In the hotel bar, waiters are required to wear leopard-print uniforms, including white gloves on some days. They complained but nothing changed.
The Twelve Apostles is probably the most inappropriate place for a meeting of emerging economies that want to break with old traditions, “eradicate poverty” and “meet the needs of the Global South”. At least that’s how South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor defined the goals of the BRICS association in her opening speech.
UN Security Council to be reformed
Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, Russia’s BRICS partners have increasingly distanced themselves from the so-called West. None of the member states has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or supported sanctions. BRICS represents 3.2 billion people and a combined gross domestic product of $25 trillion. A bank of its own, the New Development Bank, was set up as an alternative to the World Bank. A separate common currency is planned to replace the US dollar.
“We don’t let others dictate how we improve the living conditions of our citizens,” says China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu. His Indian colleague criticizes the existing concentration of economic power, which means that “too many nations are at the mercy of too few.” The BRICS members demand a reform of the UN Security Council. Emerging countries should have much more influence. “The old ways don’t do justice to the new situation. We are a symbol of change. We must act,” said India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
South Africa is the smallest BRICS partner. But one that opens the door wide to Africa. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s influence in the African Union is great. African states offer decisive votes in the UNO and are important suppliers of raw materials. A message that Russia also carries home. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has been traveling the continent with almost 50 Russian media representatives for days. “We only sleep on the plane,” says a journalist from a Moscow radio station. First it went to Burundi, then Kenya and Mozambique. The Russian Africa offensive ends this time at the Cape of Good Hope.
Now China’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ma, Russia’s Foreign Minister Lavrov and their colleagues are standing on the terrace of the Twelve Apostles for the BRICS “family photo”. The Russian TV colleagues are broadcasting live. There are so many Russian cameras that local media have to fight for their place. Although not physically present, the Russian President is the elephant in every room here.
“Illegal arrest warrants” and an unjust West
South Africa’s opposition, which governs only the Western Cape and Cape Town, has announced that it will arrest Putin if he does come to South Africa in person in August. Of course, the Russian President is officially invited to the BRICS summit on August 22-24. Only the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court obliges South Africa to arrest the head of the Kremlin. Because the country at the Cape of Africa has that Statute of Rome signed.
President Ramaphosa’s national ANC government has been struggling for weeks to find a way out of this dilemma. The longer legal experts scrutinize and fail to find a legal solution, the harsher the comments from the South African government and the African Union. The social networks are also full of criticism of the so-called West. The United Nations uses double standards, they say. The US invasion of Iraq was illegal, but an arrest warrant would never be issued against a US President.
Foreign Minister Pandor is bombarded with questions about the procedure with Putin at a press conference on Thursday. “We’re here to talk about BRICS, not illegal warrants.” Her relationship with Lavrov, who is sitting next to her at the press conference, is extremely friendly. Western ambassadors must have watched the transmission in anger. Despite large investments, fair treatment and almost humble patience, South Africa is drifting further towards Russia and China every day.
“Lavrov will not say anything about this”
There is also an allegation that South Africa loaded a Russian ship with ammunition or weapons in a cloak-and-dagger operation. At least that’s what the resident US ambassador claimed a few days ago. The South African currency then plummeted. A warning of what is threatening the country, which is economically ailing due to corruption and mismanagement, should Russia’s president actually attend the BRICS summit in South Africa. A South African newspaper, citing anonymous government sources, is now reporting that the BRICS partners are discussing the possibility of moving the summit to Mozambique or China. Both states have not signed the Rome Statute and would not be bound by the arrest warrant.
“Lavrov won’t say anything about that,” says one of the Russian journalists. “But if you want an answer from him, let a good-looking woman ask the question. It always works,” she adds in perfect English. Your colleagues laugh out loud. But there is no opportunity to ask questions, although many colleagues try. The South African Foreign Ministry spokesman is working through the list of pro-state Russian, Chinese and local journalists.
First question to Lavrov: “What do you say to British media reports that the BRICS summit is to take place in China?” As I said, it was a South African newspaper that reported the possibility. “I don’t know anything about it. I don’t read British newspapers,” the Russian foreign minister replies in Russian anyway. Lavrov answered the second question from a Russian TV journalist about the expansion of BRICS in English. There have been fruitful talks with the representatives of Saudi Arabia and there is great interest in joining the oil-rich nation BRICS.
Oil is the key case for the future of BRICS, say experts. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud is also on the Twelve Apostles. So did his colleagues from Cuba, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Comoros, Gabon, Iran, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates. Whether there was high tea is unknown. But that’s actually part of the regular cover at good old Twelve Apostles.