Archbishop Thabo Mcgoba of Cape Town paid an official visit to Lviv
On December 17, he met with Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, with whom he discussed the situation in Ukraine, Lviv and possible ways to support our country by residents of the Republic of South Africa, reports the press service of the Lviv City Council.
According to the Archbishop, this is his first visit to Ukraine, but it is very important and special for him because he plans to make the theme of the war in Ukraine the central theme of his speech at Christmas. Therefore, he asked the mayor of Lviv for advice on what exactly Africans should say in their message.
"Every day, we lose our lives, but we will never lose our freedom because freedom is inside us. You have years of fighting for your freedom in your memory. You must understand that our struggle is also your struggle for freedom. God created man free. We are building our free country because we are free people," said Andriy Sadovyi.
The mayor also told what challenges Ukrainians and Lviv residents face every day, and how they continue to live and work, despite all the threats and challenges.
"It was very important for me to meet with you because our people really want to support Ukraine. According to the survey, 75% of ordinary residents of South Africa support Ukrainians, and their struggle for their land, for independence. Our people are praying for you," Archbishop Thabo Mcgoba said.
The guest also spoke about his plans to visit the Lviv hospital with wounded civilians and military personnel. The mayor of Lviv presented him with the Nezlamni rehabilitation ecosystem, so the Archbishop promised to come up with options for how he and his compatriots can support this project.
Together with Thabo Mcgob, Gregory Mills, chairman of the non-governmental organization Brenthurst Foundation from Johannesburg (South Africa), came to Ukraine. The guests handed over lighting equipment to the mayor in case of a blackout. In turn, Andriy Sadovyi presented them with a fragment of one of the Russian missiles shot down over Lviv, which was painted by children, symbolizing the desire for peace.
Background Information
The official authorities of South Africa are showing feigned neutrality regarding Russia's war against Ukraine. However, this neutrality is aimed at supporting the aggressor country. Unlike the official authorities, civil society and opinion leaders in South Africa are on the side of Ukraine and condemn Russia's actions.
One of the most influential groups in South Africa is the clergy, in particular, the Church of England. After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Archbishop Thabo Mcgoba openly condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine. Thus, on March 2, 2022, during a service in the cathedral of st. George, on the occasion of the beginning of Lent, the archbishop called on the South African government to "unequivocally condemn" Russia's invasion of Ukraine and recalled that the invasion is a "gross violation" of Article 2.4 of the UN Charter. The Archbishop openly addressed the community with the question, "Where is our humanity" and added that he calls on the South African government to demand an unconditional withdrawal of troops from Ukraine from Russia.
