INSIDE POLITICS TEAM
THE Presidency has raised concerns over comments made by Reuben E. Brigety, the United States Ambassador to South Africa, alleging that South Africa provided weapons to Russia.
This after Brigety told various media outlets on Thursday that the US 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.
Brigerty also accused the governing party, the African National Congress (ANC), of being “hostile” towards the US.
The Lady R, which is owned by Transmorflot, a company placed under sanctions by the US last year, appeared to switch off its transponder as it made the stop in Cape Town after a voyage down the west coast of Africa.
“Among the things we noted was the docking of the cargo ship, which we are confident uploaded weapons and ammunition on to that vessel in Simon’s Town as it made its way back to Russia,” said Brigety.
However, the Presidency said that Brigety’s remarks undermined the cooperative and collaborative relationship that has characterized recent engagements between the US and South Africa, including a meeting between a South African delegation led by National Security Special Advisor Dr. Sydney Mufamadi and US government officials.
According to the Presidency, it is widely known that a Russian ship named Lady R docked in South Africa.
The Presidency said there have been allegations regarding the purpose of the voyage, but no evidence has been presented thus far to support these claims. In response, the government has committed to launching an independent inquiry, led by a retired judge, to investigate the matter.
“In recent engagements between the South African delegation and US officials, the Lady R matter was discussed 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,” said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
“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 Associated Press has independently confirmed that the Lady R docked at the Simon’s Town naval base during the time frame Brigety cited.
MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite transponder data from ships, tracked the Lady R off the South African coast in early December, but the signal was lost on Dec. 5. Ships are required by international law to keep their transponders on while at sea. Smugglers often turn them off to hide their movements.
Satellite imagery obtained by the AP shows a ship the same length, color and layout as the Lady R docked at the naval base the following day and remaining there through Dec. 8. The AP also obtained photos of the ship at the naval base, the name Lady R clearly visible on its stern in both English and Russian.
The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder signal popped back up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.
Steenhuisen’s opposition party had previously raised questions over the appearance of a “mystery” Russian vessel in Simon’s Town. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship was handling an “old order” for ammunition, and that arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.
The South African government, a key partner for the U.S. in Africa, has stated numerous times it has a neutral position on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully.
But recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africa’s most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russia’s side.
South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.
Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy’s flagship vessels, and the exercises strained South Africa’s relationship with the U.S. and other Western allies.
The South African navy also took part in the drills and characterized them as exercises that would “strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.”
South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine.
Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, which is made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
South Africa is a signatory to the international war crimes court and obliged to arrest Putin.
The government indicated it would not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC instead, but Ramaphosa’s office released a statement last month backtracking on the threat.
INSIDE POLITICS. Additional reporting by the Associated Press.
