Russia-Ukraine war 'will hit our pockets'
South Africans will too pay the price for a prolonged war in
Ukraine, warned Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Groenewald.
He said the next season where farmers are preparing for wheat to plant, they are going to pay a dear price because of this war.
Groenewald was speaking during a parliamentary debate on the local impact of the war.
He added that price inflation has already hit our pockets - with the war driving up the cost of bread, cooking oil and fuel.
He highlighted the issue at the National Assembly debate on the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on South Africa.
Groenewald said Ukraine and Russia supply at least 30% of the wheat we use here.
"To get to a situation where you think that it doesn't influence you as a citizen or as a person in South Africa because it's far away then you are misleading yourself. Then you want to talk about the influence of fuel prices, the agricultural sector and fertilizers."
DA leader, John Steenhuisen says the government is on the wrong side of history.
"We may be 9 000 km away, but we will soon feel its effect in every single aspect of South African life. It shouldn't be the hard thing to do to put the country ahead of the party and to do the right thing."
READ: National Assembly to debate Russia's invasion of Ukraine
"The ANC does not speak for South Africa on this and it certainly doesn't speak for the DA. We condemn Russia's illegal invasion and we stand firmly with the people of Ukraine. I urge president Ramaphosa to rethink the position of this government."
The ANC's Supra Mahumapelo says government shouldn't choose sides.
"Steenhuisen, because of his shortsightedness, will not be able to comprehend that South Africa will neither praise or condemn either Russia or Ukraine because normalisation of the situation to archive peace has to be through protracted engagements.
"South Africa has made it clear that international humanitarian and human rights laws must form part of the basis to engage in a peaceful resolution of the conflict."
EFF Chief Whip Floyd Shivambu says Russia and South Africa's relationship should continue.
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Meanwhile, the Ukrainian capital Kyiv has entered a curfew that won't end until Thursday - after five people were killed in airstrikes yesterday.
Poland's Prime Minister has arrived there along with his counterparts from the Czech Republic and Slovenia. He says they are there to help "stop the tragedy", with more than 3 million people have already fled Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to deliver a speech to the US Congress later.
