South Africa has no plan to sanction Russian assets

South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, says they have no plans to sanction Russian assets in the Republic.

Lamola shared this information in response to a Parliamentary question from Member of the National Assembly, Ryan Smith.

Smith asked Lamola whether he intends to table a proposal in the Cabinet to sanction Russian assets in the Republic.

He said that sanctioning assets could be part of European efforts to secure reparations for the rebuilding of Ukraine following the Russian invasion and prolonged war.

Lamola responded, saying he does not intend to table such a proposal as it does not align with South Africa’s foreign policy.

“South Africa’s foreign policy is guided by its commitment to the principles of the Constitution, international law, and peaceful resolution of conflicts,” he said.

“In this regard, South Africa has consistently advocated for dialogue, mediation, and diplomatic solutions to the conflict in Ukraine.”

The Minister said that South Africa does not support the imposition of unilateral sanctions outside the United Nations Security Council framework.

“Such measures may have unintended economic and humanitarian consequences and further complicate efforts towards a negotiated settlement,” he said.

Accordingly, South Africa continues to engage all relevant parties through bilateral and multilateral platforms, including the United Nations and other international forums.

This, Lamola said, was to encourage a peaceful and sustainable resolution of the conflict rather than pursue punitive economic measures.