Editorial | South Africa now stands accused of clandestinely selling weapons to Russia, which, if true, would confirm that we are not neutral in this conflict. The Lady R is said to have been the ship on to which the arms were loaded
US Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety made these allegations after returning from the US and, despite a government delegation that went to the US to try to reassure the Americans that this was not the case, we have no knowledge of whether the allegations are true.
This is something which should not have been difficult to ascertain, but, as usual, President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he will appoint an inquiry, when the defence minister and the National Conventional Arms Control Committee should have readily provided answers. There is a belief in some political circles that the allegations could also be US gamesmanship as South Africa prepares to host the Brics summit in August and is undecided on whether it will execute an International Criminal Court warrant to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin, should he attend.
In the end, government’s nostalgic embrace of Russia while cocking a snook at the West pollutes our foreign policy position – against our interests. The kneejerk anti-West stance might sound revolutionary, but it has real economic repercussions for South Africans who will suffer if the country is kicked out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act , which accounted for R400 billion worth of trade between the two countries last year.
Yes, South Africa should not have its foreign policies and interests dictated by others, but pragmatism and economic nous are more important.In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today. Thereafter you will be billed R75 per month.
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South Africa, U.S. In Top-Level Talks Over 'Weapons for Russia'Amid controversy over an American claim that South Africa has supplied weapons to Russia, South Africa's foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with one another late Friday about what Blinken described as "the vital U.S.-South Africa relationship." Blinken's call to Pandor was made after South Africa summoned the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, in a diplomatic démarche to protest his remarks on Thursday that the U.S. is "confident" that weapons and ammunition were loaded onto the Russian cargo ship Lady R at the South African naval base in Simon's Town in December 2022. In a strongly worded statement issued after the démarche, the South African foreign ministry claimed that Brigety had "admitted that he crossed the line and apologised unreservedly." But in a tweet, Brigety said only that he had been grateful for the opportunity to "correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks." Blinken confined his statement to saying that "we discussed further strengthening our partnership to advance shared global priorities" and a State Department read-out of the call with Pandor said he had "underscored the importance of the U.S.- South Africa strategic partnership and reiterated cooperation on shared priorities, including health, trade, and energy." On Saturday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed "disappointment" with Brigety's "undiplomatic" handling of the matter. Earlier, the Presidency said the remarks had undermined "the spirit of cooperation and partnership that characterised the recent engagements between U.S. government officials and a South African official delegation led by National Security Special Advisor to the President, Dr Sydney Mufumadi". The Presidency said it was public knowledge that a Russian vessel known as Lady R had docked in Simon's Town. "Allegations have since been made about t
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United States Accuses South Africa of Supplying Arms to RussiaThe United States ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, has publicly announced that the U.S. is "confident" that the South African government uploaded weapons and ammunition on to the Russian cargo ship Lady R in Simon's Town naval harbour in December 2022. The Daily Maverick reports that Brigety told journalists in Pretoria on Thursday May 11, 2023 that the loading of arms and ammunition for Russia was "fundamentally unacceptable" and contradicted South Africa's professed non-aligned status in Russia's war against Ukraine. The South African presidency noted the remarks with "concern" and said they undermined "the spirit of cooperation and partnership that characterised the recent engagements between U.S. government officials and a South African official delegation led by National Security Special Advisor to the President, Dr Sydney Mufumadi". The presidency said it was public knowledge that a Russian vessel known as Lady R had docked in South Africa. "Allegations have since been made about the purpose of the voyage. 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," the statement said. News24 reports that the diplomatic impasse could mean that South Africa now risks being expelled from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) which accounted for R400 billion of trade between the two countries in 2022.
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South Africa and the US make up – but Russian arms allegations still standThe US ambassador has “apologised unreservedly” for not going through the proper channels when accusing South Africa of arming Russia – but his accusations still stand.
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