South Africa to stage joint naval drills with Russia and China

GAUTENG – South Africa, which has resisted taking sides following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, announced it will next month stage a 10-days joint military drill with Russia and China off the East coast near Durban and Richards Bay. Operation Mosi – which means “smoke” – is scheduled to take place between February 17 and February 26 of next month.

Kobus Marais, shadow defense minister for the opposition party, Democratic Alliance, has questioned the motivations for going through with the plan, calling it “another bad judgement, an embarrassment.” He said the arrangement will give the impression that South Africa is not only “neutral but being biased to one side.”