Credit: (Xinhua/Li Muzi) /  Ambassador to the United Nations Jerry Matthews Matjila reacts after South Africa was elected as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, at the UN headquarters in New York, June 8, 2018. The UN General Assembly on elected South Africa, Indonesia, the Dominican Republic, Belgium, and Germany to serve during 2019-2020 in the UN Security Council

By Gary Raynaldo /  DIPLOMATIC TIMES

South Africa voted in the UN Security Council Feb.  28, 2019 against a U.S. resolution which called for fresh elections in Venezuela to resolve the worsening humanitarian crisis in the country. The U.S. draft resolution calling on the UN Security Council to call for free and fair presidential elections in Venezuela and to back opposition leader Juan Guaidó went down in defeat by a veto by Russian and China. The US draft resolution was able to garner the minimum nine votes, which then forced Russia and China to cast vetoes. South Africa also voted against the US draft; Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Indonesia abstained. But it was the  surprise vote of South Africa that apparently has gotten under the skin of the United States.   After the vote,  U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs Tibor Nagy called on South Africa to remember its own history of suffering, and suggested that the country that produced the legendary freedom fighter Nelson Mandela should have been more sympathetic to the plight of the Venezuelan people under President Nicolás Maduro.

“…Venezuela was especially disappointing; the only disappointing thing from a bilateral point of view or a U.S. policy point of view is-it was very disappointing to me – was South Africa was one of the three countries that voted against our resolution. (South Africa Was the) Only African country to vote against  our resolution. States are sovereign. But South Africa, given its history, its suffering, and to see what the Venezuelan people are going through. “

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Tibor Nagy, press briefing  from Kigali, Rwanda, Mar. 12, 2019.

Credit: U.S. Department of State / Tibor P. Nagy, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs

Nagy said South Africa had often voted against the US in the UN. Referring to South Africa’s voting record in the UN General Assembly.  “As you know, it’s no secret that we often vote differently, the South Africans and us. I think their coincidence voting record since 2017 was like 18 percent, between the United States and South Africa, which puts South Africa in the lower 10 percent of countries with coincidence of our positions.”   The U.S. diplomat said Pretoria is in the lowest 10 percent of countries voting with Washington in the UN.  The No. 2 man in the State Department,  US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan is currently in  South Africa on a visit that began on Tuesday 12 March 2019, to meet government officials, civil society and business. According to Nagy’s  telephone briefing from Rwanda to African journalists, Sullivan will be traveling to South Africa and Angola from March 12th to the 18th. The UN Security Council-Venezuela vote will most definitely be on Sullivan’s agenda in his meeting with officials in South Africa, given its decision to back the Caracas government of Maduro.  But it appears that South Africa will stand firm on its backing of Maduro despite the expected soft diplomatic pressure Sullivan will bring upon government officials to join the United States and some 53 other nations that recognize opposition leader Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president. It must be noted, however, that while 54 countries have recognized the  opposition leader, there are nearly 200 nations in the UN General Assembly, the majority back Maduro.

South Africa  Will Use Its Membership Of The UN Security Council To Advance African Interests, Says Ramaphosa

Credit: Huffington Post /FRENTE POLISARIO, TWITTER / 

“South Africa will use will use its two-year term on the United Nations Security Council to advance African interests and resolve regional, global and international conflicts,”  the  Huffington Post, reported June  2018, after  United Nations General Assembly elected South Africa, Germany, Belgium, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia for a two-year term on the Security Council starting on 1 January 2019.

“South Africa was elected to the non-permanent seat on UN Security Council for 2019-2020.  As you will know, this will be South Africa’s third term on the UNSC. Our tenure will be dedicated to the legacy of President Nelson Mandela and his commitment to peace.”

Statement by South African Government.

South Africa Stands With Maduro Government  Despite U.S. Pressure  

Source: Wikipedia /  Republic of South Africa Coat of Arms

“Having considered both resolutions, South Africa could not support in the US resolution as it reflected a serious bias and partiality which goes against South Africa’s Constitution and foreign policy, as well as the letter and spirit of the Charter of the United Nations. South Africa could not support a reference in the US resolution expressing deep concern that the Venezuelan presidential elections of May 20, 2018 were neither free nor fair.  President Nicolas Maduro was re-elected by a wide margin, garnering over 5.8 million votes according to the National Electoral Council (CNE).  The US resolution is partisan and biased as it stresses the importance of only ensuring the security of the members of the National Assembly, and members of the political opposition. A UN resolution cannot stress the security of a certain sector to the exclusion of others. As an impartial body, the UN should insist on the security of all Venezuelans.”

South Africa Statement Regarding Its Support of Nicholas Maduro in the UN Security Council Vote