APA-Pretoria (South Africa) A major diplomatic tussle is unfolding amid sensational claims by United States ambassador Reuben Brigety that South Africa has supplied weapons to Russia, in a move set to escalate a foreign policy crisis for President Cyril Ramaphosa over the country’s ties with the Kremlin and its refusal to condemn the Ukraine war.
Brigety accused South Africa of supplying arms to Russia in a covert naval operation, telling journalists on Thursday that Washington believed weapons and ammunition were loaded on to the Lady R, a Russian vessel under sanctions that docked at Simon’s Town naval dockyard near Cape Town in December.
“Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship in Simon’s Town naval base between the 6th to the 8th of December 2022, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition onto that vessel in Simon’s Town as it made its way back to Russia,” he said.
Brigety said Washington was concerned about the incident, which “does not suggest to us the actions of a non-aligned country”.
The same allegations were repeated by US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel who said the Washington had raised the issue directly with Pretoria.
“We have been quite clear and have not parsed words about any country taking steps to support Russia’s illegal and brutal war in Ukraine,” Patel said.
The South African government has denied the allegations, with Ramaphosa’s office saying Brigety’s “remarks undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership that characterised the recent engagements” between US and South African officials.
A South African government delegation led by National Security Special Advisor to the President Sydney Mufumadi recently visited the US to defuse tensions between Pretoria and Washington over Russia.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said South Africa has launched an investigation into the allegations.
“While no evidence has been provided to date to support these allegations, the government has undertaken to institute an independent enquiry to be led by a retired judge,” Magwenya said.
He said the issue of the Lady R was raised during recent engagements between the South African delegation and US officials, “and there was agreement that an investigation will be allowed to run its course and that the US intelligence services will provide whatever evidence in their possession.”
“It is therefore disappointing that the US Ambassador has adopted a counter-productive public posture that undermines the understanding reached on the matter and the very positive and constructive engagements between the two delegations.”
The latest development has raised questions about whether Pretoria has angered the gods by refusing to side with the US and her Western allies in condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and for refusing to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he comes to South Africa for the forthcoming BRICS summit in August.
JN/APA