PHUTI MOSOMANE
DEPARTMENT of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) spokesperson Clayson Monyela says the government will summon the US Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety over claims that South Africa supplied arms to Russia.
This after Brigety accused South Africa on Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship linked to a sanctioned company that docked secretly at a naval base in Simon’s Town in December.
“DIRCO will today (Friday) demarche the USA Ambassador to South Africa following his remarks yesterday. We’ll issue a detailed statement after the meeting,” Monyela said in a statement.
Monyela said the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, will also be speaking with her US counterpart, Secretary Antony Blinken, on SA’s decision to take action against Brigety.
DIRCO also confirmed on Friday that the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NACC) and its chairperson, Mondli Gungubele, had no record of an approved arms sale by the state to Russia related to the period and incident in question.
“We therefore welcome the inquiry established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish the facts and role players. If any crimes were committed, the law will take its course,” Monyela said.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said Brigety’s claims were “disappointing and counterproductive” while the party’s deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane said the governing party would formulate a complete response at a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting on Monday.
“The ANC sees his statement and public posture as disappointing and counterproductive. We are concerned that this unfortunate attitude by Ambassador Brigety may undermine ongoing constructive engagements between the two countries and the work done by the South African envoy to the US led by the national security advisor to the President, Dr Sydney Mufumadi,” she said.
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