Senior military officials from South Africa and Russia have reached an agreement to strengthen cooperation and enhance the combat readiness of their respective armies.
The talks, held in Moscow, were led by Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, the commander of South Africa’s land forces, and his Russian counterpart, Oleg Salyukov.
According to Mbatha, “the discussions covered various aspects of military cooperation and the implementation of projects aimed at bolstering the combat capabilities of both countries’ armies.”
He added that “the meeting resulted in agreements to further expand cooperation between the land forces in different areas.”
The high-level discussions between South Africa and Russia come amidst recent accusations made by the US ambassador to Pretoria, Reuben Brigety.
The ambassador alleged that South Africa was supplying arms and ammunition to Russia, despite claiming neutrality in the Ukraine war.
The controversy surrounding these allegations prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to order an inquiry to investigate the matter.
In his weekly newsletter, President Ramaphosa addressed the pressure faced by South Africa to take sides in the Ukraine conflict.
He emphasized the country’s commitment to remaining neutral in what he described as a contest between Russia and the West.
The president reaffirmed South Africa’s stance of not aligning with either side.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) confirmed the presence of senior military officers in Moscow, stating that “the visit was part of the planned military-to-military bilateral relations with various countries.”
The SANDF stressed that “the trip to Russia had been arranged well in advance and was not influenced by recent developments.”
However, the main opposition party, Democratic Alliance (DA), criticized the South African government for what they deemed as unabashed support for Russia.
The DA viewed the visit as another instance of the government’s alignment with Russia.
