SA's Absence from SCO Summit a 'Political Miscalculation'

Dr. Reneva Fourie

The recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit of 2025 was a significant milestone in the realignment of global geopolitics.

For the first time in decades, global South powers rallied together at the largest summit in the history of the SCO to articulate a shared vision for a multipolar world. The summit affirmed that international law, multilateralism, and multipolarity are the very instruments through which the global South can defend its sovereignty, achieve development, and secure a fairer international order.

Chinese President Xi Jinping captured the moment in his opening speech when he warned that the shadows of Cold War mentality and bullying have not dissipated. He observed that the world has entered a new phase of turbulence, with global governance now at a crossroads.

Xi’s call for joint efforts to build a more just and balanced framework for global governance reflected the urgency of our times. In the face of a weakening European Union and a United States determined to revive hegemony while simultaneously enabling Israel’s atrocities in West Asia, the South has no choice but to build alternatives. The SCO Summit demonstrated that this is not only possible but already underway.

The symbolism of the summit was striking. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Chinese soil for the first time in seven years. Together with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the three core leaders of BRICS were photographed holding hands and sharing a warm laugh. This image, broadcast globally, communicated more than friendship.

It signalled the determination of key powers of the South to close ranks at a time when the United States is exerting pressure and attempting to fragment them. The contrast could not be sharper. While Washington imposes sanctions and tariffs and dictates terms to partners, the SCO leaders spoke of cooperation, development, and mutual respect.

The significance of BRICS Plus in the current global landscape cannot be overstated. BRICS Plus has emerged as a vital platform wherein nations of the global South can unite to assert their collective interests, advocate for national sovereignty, and demand equitable treatment within an increasingly complex global system.

This coalition not only fosters political and economic cooperation among its member states but also amplifies their voices in international forums, empowering them to challenge existing power dynamics and push for reforms that reflect a broader spectrum of perspectives and needs in global governance.

The absence of South Africa, also a core BRICS partner, from the SCO summit is concerning. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s non-attendance was not merely a diplomatic oversight. It was a political miscalculation.

At a moment when unity among Southern powers was being cemented, South Africa’s absence might have given the impression of bowing to Washington’s pressure. For a country that has historically championed non-alignment, multilateralism, and justice, this is a contradiction that cannot be ignored.

We must be candid.

The United States is not a neutral partner for South Africa or for Africa as a whole. It is actively working to undermine the interests of our people. No amount of deference will change this reality. Washington has a consistent record of using leaders and countries to serve its own interests, only to discard or undermine them when those interests are achieved.

The evidence is overwhelming. Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon stand as painful reminders of what happens when the US decides that a state is expendable. South Africa should not delude itself into thinking that loyalty to Washington will secure respect or reciprocity.

South Africa, and indeed the whole continent, must insist on a different path. Our liberation struggle taught us the value of international solidarity and collective resistance against imperialism.

Those lessons remain relevant. Instead of drifting towards appeasement of the US, South Africa should deepen its commitments to BRICS Plus and rally other African states to seize the opportunities presented by multipolarity. It is not about aligning blindly with one bloc against another but recognising the emerging equitable world order and ensuring Africa benefits.

The economic realities underline this necessity. The US continues to impose unjust tariffs on African exports while enjoying disproportionate benefits in trade relations. African citizens face humiliating and unjustified barriers to entering the United States, while Washington interferes in the domestic affairs of multiple African countries.

Meanwhile, China, Russia, India, and other members of BRICS are offering investments in infrastructure, technology, and development that the continent urgently needs. It is only through deepened cooperation with these partners that Africa can address underdevelopment, unemployment, and inequality.

Despite initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area, the continent remains fragmented. This disunity is what allows external actors to manipulate our politics and economies. Israel’s opening of an embassy in Zambia after fifty years of absence is a vivid example of how division creates space for opportunistic penetration.

These developments undermine Africa’s collective voice on Palestine, weaken our bargaining power globally, and threaten the progress made towards pan-African integration.

The SCO Summit demonstrated that global realignment is accelerating, whether Africa chooses to participate or not. They are moving in the direction of multipolarity and building frameworks of cooperation that bypass Western-dominated institutions and prioritise development, sovereignty, and respect. 

Africa cannot afford to remain on the sidelines, and South Africa, as a member of BRICS, must play a greater role in shaping the continent's position in this moment of transition. This requires courage, clarity of vision, and rejecting illusions that the United States can be appeased into respecting Africa. It means embracing the reality that a multipolar world offers better prospects for justice, development, and dignity.

The SCO Summit has shown that the future is being written and that the forces of cooperation and development are gaining momentum. South Africa must decide whether to cling to the fading structures of Western dominance or to step boldly into a new order that reflects our aspirations. 

The world is moving, and Africa should not be left behind.

* Dr Reneva Fourie is a policy analyst specialising in governance, development, and security.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL, Independent Media or The African.