On Wednesday, South Africa chose to abstain when the United Nations General Assembly voted on a resolution calling on Russia to withdraw its military forces from Ukraine.

On Saturday, the foundation called for a cessation of hostilities and the restoration of peace.

"The Nelson Mandela Foundation has been following closely the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces," a statement said.

"We are grieving for those who are losing so much and we are troubled by the complexity of the challenge to the world order, and by the vagaries of international rules of engagement.

"At play here are notions of the sovereignty of nation states and the perceived right of such states to act in their own legitimate interests, and their assessment of the benefit or drawbacks of their actions.

"We have urged the South African government to show leadership at this critical moment and press for a ceasefire so that rigorous negotiations on the future can be mapped out and we have indicated our availability to assist in this regard.

"It is imperative that channels for peacemaking, negotiation and dialogue be pursued urgently and relentlessly."

Jacaranda FM