Lady R was delivering equipment not uploading weapons, says Ramaphosa

Johnathan Paoli

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the findings of the Lady R panel investigation which confirmed that the Russian ship was offloading military equipment destined for the SANDF, ordered by the arms utility Armscor in 2018.

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday evening, on the outcomes of the 15th BRICS Summit and on the conclusion of the panel investigation into the docking of the Lady R vessel in Simon’s Town, late last year.

In December last year, the Lady R docked at Naval Base in Simon’s Town, and allegedly loaded and unloaded with cargo under what many have deemed suspicious circumstances.

On 11 May this year, the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, accused the country of supplying arms to Russia during the December 2022 docking of the Russian ship.

Speculation arose in conjunction with a previous South African hosting of a naval exercise, Mosi II,