DOMINANT ANGLE
Pretoria is measuring its historical solidarity with Riyadh in light of the US military silence in the face of the Houthi advance
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Houthi fighters advanced on Monday towards Yemen's strategic highlands to cut off the Red Sea coast from areas held by Riyadh-backed forces (TimesLIVE, Business Day).
- 02
The New York Times reported that Donald Trump had called off planned strikes against the Houthis at the last minute on Sunday, with bombs already loaded onto planes, a account that Reuters was unable to verify.
- 03
Deputy Social Development Minister Ganief Hendricks mentioned in Pretoria Nelson Mandela's 1994 visit to Saudi Arabia and Saudi investments in the Bokpoort and Redstone solar plants.
ANALYSIS
Pretoria, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. As Houthi fighters advance towards Yemen's strategic heights to cut off the Red Sea coast from areas held by Riyadh-backed forces, South African diplomacy chooses to emphasize its own ties with Saudi Arabia rather than comment on the military escalation. On Monday, in Pretoria, South African Deputy Minister of Social Development Ganief Hendricks took advantage of the celebrations of the 96th Saudi National Day to call for a deeper partnership between the two countries, which he described as based on "faith and development". He recalled that Nelson Mandela had visited Saudi Arabia as early as 1994, "at the first opportunity after our freedom", and welcomed Saudi investments in the Bokpoort and Redstone solar power plants, before calling for "more projects, more investments, more economic activity", particularly in artificial intelligence and smart cities.
This speech comes as the South African press, quoting a Reuters dispatch, reports that Washington has so far refused the repeated calls of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to join the fight against the Houthis, despite claimed strikes on Riyadh near the airport on Saturday. The New York Times claimed that Donald Trump had prepared strikes against the Iran-backed group on Sunday, before canceling them at the last minute, as bombs were already loaded onto planes; Reuters indicated that it could not verify this account. Trump spoke with Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday, who asked for military aid, without obtaining a direct promise of engagement, according to four cited sources.
The Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa since 2014, seized the Red Sea coast this month, routing the internationally recognized Yemeni government forces backed by Riyadh. The Saudi air force has multiplied strikes on their positions in the heights, without managing to slow their advance as pro-government troops disperse. In this context, the absence of official South African comment on the conflict itself, in favor of a speech focused on trade and shared history, outlines a cautious line: Pretoria values its bilateral relationship with Riyadh without taking a stance on regional military engagement or Washington's role.
