South Africa Delays Russian Bomber Visit Amid Criticism

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has urged the South African government to permanently cancel the scheduled tour of Russian Tupolev TU-160 bombers, which was recently postponed. This postponement follows criticism regarding South Africa's supposed non-alignment in global conflicts, especially in light of the bombers' historical use in Russia's military actions against Ukraine. The DA highlighted that hosting these aircraft contradicts South Africa's claims of neutrality and raises concerns about the government's foreign policy consistency. President Ramaphosa's silence on Russia's aggression since 2014 further complicates this narrative, as the DA calls for equal treatment of Ukraine in South Africa's military engagements. The postponement was officially announced by the South African National Defense Force, emphasizing the ongoing diplomatic tensions surrounding this issue.