South Africa Condemns US Military Action Against Venezuela

Lamola reiterated South Africa’s unwavering commitment to multilateralism, with the United Nations at its centre, cautioning that unilateral uses of force undermine the UN Charter and weaken global governance.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has strongly condemned the United States’ unilateral military strikes against Venezuela, warning that such actions pose a direct threat to the international rules-based order and the principles underpinning global peace and stability.

The Minister also denounced the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, who were taken to the United States by US special forces earlier this week and are now facing trial in New York. Maduro has pleaded not guilty to charges including drug trafficking.

Speaking at a public participation event hosted by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), in collaboration with the Rustenburg Local Municipality, Lamola said the incident underscores growing global instability and the erosion of multilateral norms.

Defending the UN Charter in an Era of Unilateralism

Lamola reiterated South Africa’s unwavering commitment to multilateralism, with the United Nations at its centre, cautioning that unilateral uses of force undermine the UN Charter and weaken global governance.

“When we placed our signatures upon the UN Charter, we made a solemn covenant,” Lamola said. “We agreed to replace the sword with the statute, the battlefield with the negotiating table. To violate the territorial integrity of one nation is to violate the peace and stability of all.”

He warned that the actions of powerful states risk returning the world to an era defined by spheres of influence, coercion and trusteeship, rather than sovereign equality.

Mandela’s Warning Still Resonates

Drawing on the legacy of former President Nelson Mandela, Lamola said the current geopolitical moment validates Madiba’s long-standing warnings about the dangers of a world governed by power rather than principle.

Writing as a “President in waiting,” Mandela once argued that “because the world is a more dangerous place, the international community dare not relinquish its commitment to human rights.”

Lamola stressed that South Africa’s foreign policy remains anchored in justice, international law and human dignity — values that are increasingly under strain amid escalating geopolitical tensions.

“The sovereign equality of all nations is not negotiable,” he said. “If the United Nations becomes dominated by a single power or group of powers, its legitimacy will inevitably be called into question.”

A Defining Moment for Multilateralism

Lamola described the current period as a decisive test for the global system, warning that failure to reform and defend multilateral institutions could see the world regress to the failures of the League of Nations.

“An age of wars, fragmentation and racial hierarchy,” he cautioned. “Reform of multilateral institutions is no longer optional if multilateralism is to survive the current geopolitical headwinds.”

Foreign Policy as a Tool for Inclusive Development

Addressing domestic criticism that South Africa should focus exclusively on internal challenges, Lamola rejected what he described as a “false choice” between domestic priorities and international engagement.

“Foreign policy is one of the tools we use to create the conditions for inclusive growth, decent work and a dignified life,” he said. “All politics is not only domestic — global decisions shape local realities.”

He concluded by reaffirming South Africa’s identity as a nation forged through international solidarity, warning against abandoning its values for short-term expedience.

“Principle is not a costume you wear when convenient,” Lamola said. “To abandon Ubuntu, justice and human dignity in the face of raw power is to abandon who we are.”