The US ambassador’s accusation that South Africa covertly supplied arms to Russia, despite claiming neutrality in the Ukraine war, has been met with strong criticism from Pretoria
Ambassador Reuben Brigety had during a media briefing on Thursday asserted that a Russian freighter docked at a Cape Town naval base in December and loaded weapons and ammunition, stating, “We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel, and I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion.”
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office responded with disappointment, stressing that “Brigety’s public posture undermines the spirit of cooperation and partnership between the two nations.”
Ramaphosa’s spokesman, Vincent Magwenya, announced that “an independent inquiry led by a retired judge would be established to investigate the allegations.”
While South Africa has maintained its stance of not condemning the Ukraine invasion and emphasizing neutrality and dialogue as a means to resolve the conflict, critics point to recent incidents suggesting a leaning toward the Kremlin.
These incidents include a joint military exercise with Russia and China earlier this year and the landing of a sanctioned Russian military cargo plane at a South African air force base to deliver “diplomatic mail.”
