What: A PEACEFUL PROTEST AGAINST RUSSIAN INVASION IN UKRAINE

Where: Outside the Russian Consulate in Cape Town (8 Riebeek St, Cape Town 8001)

Outside the Russian Embassy in Pretoria (316 Brooks Street, Menlo Park, 0081)

Ukrainian Association in South Africa (NPO) calls on the South African and international community to stop Kremlin’s premeditated atrocious war against Ukraine, against international principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Eight years ago, in 2014 Russia invaded the East of Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea. This war has cost Ukraine over 14,000 lives, over 30,000 wounded and 1.5 million internally displaced people.  Then, the war in Ukraine seemed far distance from African soil, but it was in Ukraine that Russia has established para-military forces, so-called “Wagner group”, mastered disinformation that drives societal divisions and openly lied about their military involvement. 

Now in 2022, Russian mercenaries are registered on the African continent in Mali, CAR, Libya, Mozambique; and Russian disinformation campaigns are driving racial and xenophobic divisions in many African countries, including South Africa. Attacks on democracy does not recognise boarders. 

24th of February 2022 Putin has invaded Ukraine and millions of Ukrainians are now under the airstrikes and facing the tanks. While Ukraine is far away from South Africa, already tomorrow we will feel the increased petrol, grains prices and face financial instability.

In the world that is still fighting the poverty and facing the climate change, Putin finds the place for “historical claims” and bombs peaceful citizens to prove that our country does not exist. Ukrainians in Ukraine and around the world will stand together to defend our motherland and we call each citizen of this planet who defend the to stand with us. 

We call South African government to 

1. Stop economic cooperation with Russia
2. To cease any cooperation or procurement in the nuclear sector with Russia
3. Use all the political instruments such as BRICS and bilateral relationships to STOP Russian aggression
4. Denounce the visa-free regime with Russia federation
5. Allow families of Ukrainians living in South Africa to invite their families visa-free for the duration of the conflict.

#StandWithUkraine #StopRussianAggression

Ukrainian Association of South Africa (NPO # 189 – 705) unites South Africans and Ukrainians living in South Africa and aims to build a dialogue between the two countries.

For more information please contact us: 

[email protected]

In Cape Town 0716208575 Dzvinka 

In Pretoria +27762365824 Anastasia