South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday the country's non-aligned position did not favor Russia over other states and reiterated its call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. The country's officials swiftly rejected claims made by the U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety last week, who quoted saying the U.S. had concerns over Pretoria's non-aligned stance. For an analysis, VOA's Esther Githui-Ewart spoke to professor Phiwokuhle Mnyandu, a lecturer of African studies at Howard University.