SOFASONKE PARTY CALLING UPON THE GOVERNMENT TO TELL RUSSIA TO STOP THE WAR IN UKRAINE

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By Dimakatso Modipa

Sofasonke party member in DIRCO offices picketing photo by Dimakatso Modipa
Sofasonke party member in DIRCO offices picketing photo by Dimakatso Modipa

“The South African government has been sitting on the fence for far too long now regarding the war in Ukraine and we want to make a plea to the government to tell Russia to stop the war,” said Sofasonke Party national organiser Freeman Bhengu outside the headquarters of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Tshwane on Thursday.

This is where his party staged a protest march, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine.

“For the past two years there has been a war in Ukraine perpetuated by Russia and so far, our government is ‘sitting on the fence’ in this regard and kids are being affected by the war,” said Bhengu.

He told Tshwane Talks that the biggest victims in the war between Russia and Ukraine are children.

He said two weeks ago Russia attacked and bombarded a hospital that takes care of cancer patients in Ukraine.

“This incident got us to stand up as Sofasonke Party to say this is too much and we are here at the Department of International Relations to say to the government you have a say and influence in this matter and please help us and talk to Russia so that we can have a ceasefire,” said Bhengu.

He said they as Sofasonke Party members would also be marching to the Russian embassy later on in the day to plead with the country’s leader Vladimir Putin to stop the enraging war.

“19000 kids are missing as a result of the war and we are asking the Russian embassy to bring those kids back to Ukraine,” he said.

Member of the Ukraine Association in South Africa Lesya Karpenko told Tshwane Talks that she attended the protest march in order to support the Soweto-based Sofasonke Party who are advocating for an end to the war in Ukraine as perpetuated by Russia.

“We as Ukraine citizens in this country are calling upon the South African government to assist in bringing about a ceasefire and withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine because the war has taken many lives on both sides of the conflict and that it is unnecessary,” she said.

“Ukraine is an independent country with internationally recognised borders and that the Russian aggression on Ukraine is purposeless and impacts negatively upon the whole world.

“We call for the return of all children who were taken away from Ukraine, we call for the return of all prisoners of war who are currently in Russia, we are here to tell the South African government and the society to be on the right side and support Ukraine’s independence,” she said.

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