APA-Pretoria (South Africa) South Africa’s professed neutrality over Russia’s war in Ukraine has been thrown into doubt by the United States whose chief diplomat in the Pretoria accused Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of supplying weapons to Moscow’s war effort.
American ambassador Reuben Brigety made a surprise claim that Pretoria’s position in the conflict cannot be viewed as neutral after Washington discovered that arms and ammunitions were shipped from Cape Town to Russia late last year.
American intelligence reportedly discovered that Russian vessel Lady R which had docked at a naval base in the first week of December was laden with arms which were bound for Russia.
The vessel had raised eybrows as South Africans asked questions about its mission.
Denying the claims, the South African presidency dismissed them as ”lacking any basis in evidence”.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday Brigety said South Africa has been secretly backing Moscow against Kiev, despite its professed neutrality over the Ukraine conflict.
The United States had expressed concern about Pretoria’s position in the conflict after South Africa refused to rally to the cause spearheaded Western nations to help Ukraine fight off the Russian invasion which began in February 2022.
A joint naval exercise involving South Africa, Russia and China on the anniversary of the invasion had rekindled Washington’s suspicion of the Ramaphosa government.
A commission of inquiry has been set up in South Africa to probe Bigety’s allegations.
WN/as/APA