Question NW1206 to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
06 May 2022 - NW1206
Chirwa, Ms NN to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
In light of the fact that the South African International Students Association has previously reached out to the government on the status of South African students who are currently in Russia on their struggles that have emanated from the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, and with regard to the fact that the students can no longer access their funds as international transactions have been halted, and neither can they receive assistance from their parents because of the same stated reason,
Reply:
a) The unilateral measures that were taken by some European countries, to remove Russian banks from the international financial transaction systems is perceived to have generally inconvenienced foreign nationals in Russia, including the South African students. The South African Embassy in Russia communicated precautionary advice through its website and social media platforms, regarding emergency contact details and the location of the students inside the Russian Federation. It is important to note that the Embassy took it upon itself to compile a database of all students under Central and Provincial (SA) Government sponsorship. The database of students in Russia includes the following:
- 271 from Mpumalanga Province: RACUS SA Programme: RACUS South Africa is the South African Official Representative of Russian African Centre of University Studies.
- 201 from Free State Province.
- 27 from a Department of Higher Education and Training programme.
In addition, the Embassy has reached out to the SA Community in Russia to register themselves, as there are also a number of independent / self-financed students in Russia.
b) Up to March 2022, the Embassy had only assisted with payments towards students for whom the Embassy received Financial Authority from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Head Office, being students sponsored by the Free State Provincial Authorities.
Unfortunately, none of the South African Embassies abroad have the mandate to carry out private banking on behalf of private persons. The only available option for students, currently, is to possess and utilise financial instruments in the local Russian Ruble currency. Immediately after being informed of the sanctions imposed on the Russian banks, the South African Embassy consulted with its Sberbank bank in Moscow, regarding available options for the students to receive their stipends. The Bank advised that all the students needed to open Russian Ruble accounts, as the students held in Euro (€) currency accounts at Sberbank Bank. The students subsequently opened Ruble accounts and informed the Embassy of their new account details.
The Embassy has subsequently been requested to also assist the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) with the stipend payments towards their students.
c) The way forward will largely depend on the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. It is envisaged that as soon as the conflict comes to a total halt, the SWIFT facility may be reactivated. The South African governmet has estabslished a task team to analyse the implications of the conflict on food, fuel, trade and energy security and the best way to protect South Africa against the expected impact.