Raila Odinga leaves South Africa without meeting President Ramaphosa

President William Ruto's candidate for the African Union Commission's top seat, Raila Odinga, departed Johannesburg for Namibia on Wednesday, after he failed to engage with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Odinga had been in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city and capital of Gauteng province, since Monday evening.

However, despite his stay, he was unable to secure a meeting with President Ramaphosa.

Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Sing'oei Korir, had previously informed Nation on Tuesday that Raila's regional tour included stops in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

The Eastleigh Voice reached out to South Africa's Presidential spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, who confirmed that Raila Odinga did not meet with President Ramaphosa.

When asked if a meeting was scheduled for the coming days, Magwenya responded, "No," without providing further details.

This outlet also inquired whether there could be a clash in foreign policies or if Pretoria was deliberately sidelining Raila.

"If and when the meeting does happen, you'll know," Magwenya told The Eastleigh Voice.

Denied support

In November 2024, Pretoria denied supporting Raila Odinga's bid after his team circulated a campaign poster listing South Africa as one of the countries backing his candidacy.

The poster, widely shared on Kenyan social media platforms, named South Africa alongside 15 other African nations as supporters, sparking a heated debate.

Magwenya expressed concern about the use of unverified campaign materials, saying, "The use of fake campaign posters claiming support that has not been given in campaigns or issues at multilateral institutions is disturbing and sadly begins to erode Kenya's standing."

He added, "The continued misinformation is reducing the seriousness of campaigns in your country at the multilateral level. It's a pity. But no such support has been officially expressed."

The poster also depicted countries like Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, and Seychelles as backing Odinga's bid.

The assumption of South Africa's endorsement stemmed from Odinga's long-standing political and business ties with President Ramaphosa.

However, Pretoria remained silent on the matter until Magwenya's clarification that no official endorsement had been issued.

Diverging foreign policy stances

The diplomatic relationship between Nairobi and Pretoria has sometimes been marked by differing positions on key international issues, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine.

South Africa, which has expressed strong support for Russia in the Ukraine conflict and for Palestinian rights, took legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over alleged genocide.

Pretoria also led the opposition when the African Union (AU) granted Israel observer status in 2022, a move that led to the expulsion of Israeli diplomats from the AU summit hall in 2023.

In contrast, Kenya has taken a more moderate stance on these issues, avoiding direct opposition to Israel's AU observer status bid.

The Western Sahara conflict is another area of tension between Kenya and South Africa is the ongoing Western Sahara dispute.

South Africa strongly backs the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and views Morocco's presence in Western Sahara as colonial.

Relations between Pretoria and Rabat have been strained, with no South African ambassador assigned to Morocco. Kenya, on the other hand, has recently softened its stance on Western Sahara.

President William Ruto acknowledged Morocco's claim to the region shortly after assuming office, even tweeting about cutting ties with the SADR following discussions with Morocco's top diplomat, Nasser Bourita.

Although Kenya later walked back this statement, it highlighted a shift in Nairobi's policy, which some members of the AU have seen as compromising Kenya's credibility.

Raila Odinga, who shares President Ruto's admiration for Morocco, aligns with Rabat's position on Western Sahara, viewing it as part of Moroccan territory.

The 80-year-old political veteran previously visited Dakhla, a disputed area, and openly expressed his stance on social media, tweeting, "In Dakhla, Western Sahara, a region of Morocco."