Ayeye… we are in it now.
So there I was, minding my business, catching up on current affairs, and boom — ENCA drops:
“Iran calls on BRICS nations to help.”
Now let’s be clear from the start:
There is nothing wrong with that call.
If South Africa were in that position, we would expect our allies to show up too. That is what alliances mean. That is what BRICS is supposed to represent — not just handshakes and summits, but support when things get real.
So this is not about dismissing Iran.
This is about being honest about ourselves.
Because somewhere between being part of BRICS and being expected to contribute meaningfully, we skipped a very important step — capacity.
Let’s not lie to each other.
South Africa is not weak. But we are also not delusional.
We are a country with resilience, influence, and voice — but not the kind of military or economic power that carries weight in a conflict of this scale. That is not cowardice. That is reality. And there is nothing dignified about pretending otherwise. I lowkey don’t even think we have a working gun…lol
Because real strength is not about jumping into every fight.
Real strength is knowing what you bring — and what you don’t.
Right now, what we bring is not firepower.
We bring diplomacy, negotiation, and moral positioning.
We are the country that helped negotiate its way out of deep internal conflict.
We are the country that understands how to sit across the table from tension and not collapse into it.
That is not small. That is not soft.
That is power — just not the loud kind.
So when Iran calls on BRICS, South Africa’s role should not be to posture or pretend. It should be to anchor the room. To push for de-escalation. To remind everyone that not every conflict needs to spiral.
Because let’s be honest — if we try to perform as something we are not, we don’t look brave.
We look reckless.
And reckless countries don’t earn respect. They earn consequences.
So no, this is not about sitting quietly because we are scared.
It’s about standing correctly because we understand ourselves.
We don’t need to prove that we can fight.
We need to prove that we can think, position, and influence wisely.
And honestly?
That might be the most powerful move in the room.
