South Africa investigating U.S. charge of supplying arms to Russia: Khumbudzo Ntshavheni
Issued on: 12/05/2023 -
The row has exposed the dilemma facing President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling ANC, which has historic ties with Russia
© MUJAHID SAFODIEN / AFP
Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africans were left angry and baffled on Friday after the US accused their country of secretly shipping arms to Russia, a charge that triggered both a government rebuke but also the announcement of an inquiry.
US ambassador Reuben Brigety on Thursday said Washington was confident weapons and ammunition had been laden onto a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base.
The explosive remarks drew an angry response from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who however did not deny the charge but said a retired judge would lead an investigation into the matter.
The move was welcomed by the United States but met with a mix of ridicule and bewilderment at home, with many questioning how the government could not have known what had happened.
"It perhaps points to a South African president who simply is unaware of what is happening effectively under his nose," political and economic analyst Daniel Silke told AFP.
The emerging picture was of "information disarray" within the government, he said.
The Lady R, a cargo vessel under western sanctions flying a Russian flag, docked at South Africa's largest naval base in December, officially to offload an old order of ammunition.
But ambassador Brigety said intelligence showed weaponry was loaded onto the vessel before it headed back to Russia.
"Did we or didn't we? And if we did, shouldn't the president know?" Bongani Bingwa, host of a popular morning radio show, wrote on Twitter.
Others quipped that the government appeared to be setting up inquiries for everything.
The deadline for the latest investigation has not been revealed, and there has been no immediate announcement as to who will lead it.
'Disingenuous'
If confirmed, the shipment would mark a break from South Africa's professed neutrality over the conflict in Ukraine.
The foreign ministry on Friday said there was no record of any approved arms sales to Russia during the period in question but the probe would shed light on the case.
"There should be nothing to investigate," Kobus Marais, a lawmaker with the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), told AFP.
"The president as the commander-in-chief and the minister of defence should know exactly what happened," he said.
"It's disingenuous of them to suggest they're innocent and just bystanders."
South Africa has been walking a diplomatic tightrope over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which it has refused to condemn, saying it prefers dialogue to end the war.
A continental powerhouse, the country has strong economic and trade relations with the US and Europe.
Trade with Russia is much smaller, but Pretoria has ties with Moscow dating back decades, to when the Kremlin supported the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in its struggle against apartheid.
The remarks triggered a diplomatic spat just hours after Brigety made them, during a briefing with local media.
Ramaphosa's office said it was "disappointing" that Brigety had gone public with comments that "undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership" between the two nations
The foreign ministry on Friday said it would formally protest to Brigety, while Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor would speak to Washington later.
'Economic suicide'
The quarrel has also heightened concerns about South Africa's ailing economy, with analysts saying the country has much to lose and little to gain from a fight with Washington.
The rand dropped sharply against the dollar reaching its lowest point in three years on Thursday.
"The news certainly aggravated the negative sentiments towards South Africa," said Hugo Pienaar, chief economist at Bureau for Economic Research, a think tank.
Afrikaans rights group AfriForum said the government was "leading South Africa to economic suicide" by siding with Russia.
Some worry the US could kick the country out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) -- a deal granting duty-free access to the US market for products from sub-Saharan nations that comply with standards on rights and democracy.
South Africa is the largest beneficiary of the agreement, which was worth $21 billion to the country's economy last year, according to the US ambassador.
"This is a very serious matter," said Silke, adding South Africa's economy was already "very vulnerable", facing almost zero growth and contracting domestic demand.
"South African exporters... desperately need their products to be sold on international shelves."
© 2023 AFP
Johannesburg (AFP) – South Africans were left angry and baffled on Friday after the US accused their country of secretly shipping arms to Russia, a charge that triggered both a government rebuke but also the announcement of an inquiry.
US ambassador Reuben Brigety on Thursday said Washington was confident weapons and ammunition had been laden onto a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base.
The explosive remarks drew an angry response from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who however did not deny the charge but said a retired judge would lead an investigation into the matter.
The move was welcomed by the United States but met with a mix of ridicule and bewilderment at home, with many questioning how the government could not have known what had happened.
"It perhaps points to a South African president who simply is unaware of what is happening effectively under his nose," political and economic analyst Daniel Silke told AFP.
The emerging picture was of "information disarray" within the government, he said.
The Lady R, a cargo vessel under western sanctions flying a Russian flag, docked at South Africa's largest naval base in December, officially to offload an old order of ammunition.
But ambassador Brigety said intelligence showed weaponry was loaded onto the vessel before it headed back to Russia.
"Did we or didn't we? And if we did, shouldn't the president know?" Bongani Bingwa, host of a popular morning radio show, wrote on Twitter.
Others quipped that the government appeared to be setting up inquiries for everything.
The deadline for the latest investigation has not been revealed, and there has been no immediate announcement as to who will lead it.
'Disingenuous'
If confirmed, the shipment would mark a break from South Africa's professed neutrality over the conflict in Ukraine.
The foreign ministry on Friday said there was no record of any approved arms sales to Russia during the period in question but the probe would shed light on the case.
"There should be nothing to investigate," Kobus Marais, a lawmaker with the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), told AFP.
"The president as the commander-in-chief and the minister of defence should know exactly what happened," he said.
"It's disingenuous of them to suggest they're innocent and just bystanders."
South Africa has been walking a diplomatic tightrope over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which it has refused to condemn, saying it prefers dialogue to end the war.
A continental powerhouse, the country has strong economic and trade relations with the US and Europe.
Trade with Russia is much smaller, but Pretoria has ties with Moscow dating back decades, to when the Kremlin supported the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party in its struggle against apartheid.
The remarks triggered a diplomatic spat just hours after Brigety made them, during a briefing with local media.
Ramaphosa's office said it was "disappointing" that Brigety had gone public with comments that "undermine the spirit of cooperation and partnership" between the two nations
The foreign ministry on Friday said it would formally protest to Brigety, while Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor would speak to Washington later.
'Economic suicide'
The quarrel has also heightened concerns about South Africa's ailing economy, with analysts saying the country has much to lose and little to gain from a fight with Washington.
The rand dropped sharply against the dollar reaching its lowest point in three years on Thursday.
"The news certainly aggravated the negative sentiments towards South Africa," said Hugo Pienaar, chief economist at Bureau for Economic Research, a think tank.
Afrikaans rights group AfriForum said the government was "leading South Africa to economic suicide" by siding with Russia.
Some worry the US could kick the country out of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) -- a deal granting duty-free access to the US market for products from sub-Saharan nations that comply with standards on rights and democracy.
South Africa is the largest beneficiary of the agreement, which was worth $21 billion to the country's economy last year, according to the US ambassador.
"This is a very serious matter," said Silke, adding South Africa's economy was already "very vulnerable", facing almost zero growth and contracting domestic demand.
"South African exporters... desperately need their products to be sold on international shelves."
© 2023 AFP
South Africa hits back at US charge of supplying arms to Moscow | Russia-Ukraine War | WION Live
The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country 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 near the city of Cape Town in December. …
The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country 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 near the city of Cape Town in December. …
US ambassador accuses South Africa of providing weapons, ammo to Russia
By GERALD IMRAY and MICHAEL BIESECKER
The Russian vessel, Lady R, is docked at the Simon's Town Naval Base near Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. The U.S. ambassador to South Africa has accused the country of providing weapons to Russia. Ambassador Reuben Brigety said the U.S. government was certain that weapons were loaded onto a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town for three days in December.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country 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 near the city of Cape Town in December.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation into the visit by a Russian vessel named Lady R to his nation’s main naval base was already underway behind the scenes with the help of U.S. intelligence services before Ambassador Reuben Brigety went public at a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria, that the cargo was weapons and ammunition.
Brigety said the U.S. was certain that military equipment was loaded onto the Lady R at the Simon’s Town naval base between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 and then transported to Russia. He said it brought into question South Africa’s supposed neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and its calls for the conflict to end.
“The arming of the Russians is extremely serious and we do not consider this issue to be resolved,” Brigety said in comments reported by multiple South African news outlets.
If South Africa is found to be giving Russia military aid, it threatens to fracture the relationship between the United States and a key partner in Africa. Despite South Africa’s neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, the Biden Administration was hoping it could still be a key buffer against growing Russian and Chinese influence on the continent.
While Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement later Thursday that there was currently “no evidence” to support allegations that arms were loaded onto the Lady R, The Associated Press established that the vessel is tied to a company that was sanctioned last year by the U.S. for being involved in transporting military equipment for the Russian government.
The news of Brigety’s comments broke while Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions on other matters in Parliament. When the leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked about the weapons and ammunition, the president replied that “the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.”
Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for the investigation to play out.
Steenhuisen asked the president if South Africa was “actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?”
Ammunition supplies have become a problem for Russia in the war. The leader of Russian military company Wagner complained last week about his mercenary soldiers in Ukraine allegedly dealing with dire shortages.
Ramaphosa’s office acknowledged in its statement that the Lady R docked in South Africa, but did not say when, where or for what reason. The statement also criticized the American ambassador for going public.
Records reviewed by the AP show the Lady R was purchased by a Russian company, Transmorflot LLC, in 2019. In May 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Transmorflot and several vessels it alleges are controlled by the company, including the Lady R, for aiding the Russian war effort. The company then changed its name to MG-Flot LLC, which is also listed as the current owner of the Lady R.
Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that another ship owned by MG-Flot, the Rasul Gamzatov, transported artillery shells from Iran to Russia, citing Middle Eastern officials.
The AP has also independently confirmed that the Lady R docked at the Simon’s Town naval base during the time frame Brigety cited.
MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite transponder data from ships, tracked the Lady R off the South African coast in early December, but the signal was lost on Dec. 5. Ships are required by international law to keep their transponders on while at sea. Smugglers often turn them off to hide their movements.
Satellite imagery obtained by AP shows a ship the same length, color and layout as the Lady R docked at the naval base the following day and remained there through Dec. 8. AP also obtained photos of the ship at the naval base, the name Lady R clearly visible on its stern in both English and Russian. The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder signal popped back up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.
Steenhuisen’s opposition party had previously raised questions over the appearance of a “mystery” Russian vessel in Simon’s Town. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship was handling an “old order” for ammunition, and arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.
The South African government has stated numerous times it is neutral on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully through diplomacy but recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africa’s most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russia’s side.
South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.
Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy’s flagship vessels. The South African navy took part in the drills and said they would “strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.”
South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
South Africa is a signatory to the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands, and obliged to arrest Putin. The government indicated it would not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC instead. Ramaphosa’s office released a statement last month backtracking on the threat.
___
AP Writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
By GERALD IMRAY and MICHAEL BIESECKER
yesterday
The Russian vessel, Lady R, is docked at the Simon's Town Naval Base near Cape Town, South Africa, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022. The U.S. ambassador to South Africa has accused the country of providing weapons to Russia. Ambassador Reuben Brigety said the U.S. government was certain that weapons were loaded onto a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town for three days in December.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The U. S. ambassador to South Africa accused the country 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 near the city of Cape Town in December.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation into the visit by a Russian vessel named Lady R to his nation’s main naval base was already underway behind the scenes with the help of U.S. intelligence services before Ambassador Reuben Brigety went public at a news conference in the South African capital, Pretoria, that the cargo was weapons and ammunition.
Brigety said the U.S. was certain that military equipment was loaded onto the Lady R at the Simon’s Town naval base between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 and then transported to Russia. He said it brought into question South Africa’s supposed neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and its calls for the conflict to end.
“The arming of the Russians is extremely serious and we do not consider this issue to be resolved,” Brigety said in comments reported by multiple South African news outlets.
If South Africa is found to be giving Russia military aid, it threatens to fracture the relationship between the United States and a key partner in Africa. Despite South Africa’s neutral stance on the war in Ukraine, the Biden Administration was hoping it could still be a key buffer against growing Russian and Chinese influence on the continent.
While Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement later Thursday that there was currently “no evidence” to support allegations that arms were loaded onto the Lady R, The Associated Press established that the vessel is tied to a company that was sanctioned last year by the U.S. for being involved in transporting military equipment for the Russian government.
The news of Brigety’s comments broke while Ramaphosa was in Cape Town answering questions on other matters in Parliament. When the leader of the political opposition, John Steenhuisen, asked about the weapons and ammunition, the president replied that “the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.”
Ramaphosa declined to comment further, citing the need for the investigation to play out.
Steenhuisen asked the president if South Africa was “actively arming Russian soldiers who are murdering and maiming innocent people?”
Ammunition supplies have become a problem for Russia in the war. The leader of Russian military company Wagner complained last week about his mercenary soldiers in Ukraine allegedly dealing with dire shortages.
Ramaphosa’s office acknowledged in its statement that the Lady R docked in South Africa, but did not say when, where or for what reason. The statement also criticized the American ambassador for going public.
Records reviewed by the AP show the Lady R was purchased by a Russian company, Transmorflot LLC, in 2019. In May 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Transmorflot and several vessels it alleges are controlled by the company, including the Lady R, for aiding the Russian war effort. The company then changed its name to MG-Flot LLC, which is also listed as the current owner of the Lady R.
Last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that another ship owned by MG-Flot, the Rasul Gamzatov, transported artillery shells from Iran to Russia, citing Middle Eastern officials.
The AP has also independently confirmed that the Lady R docked at the Simon’s Town naval base during the time frame Brigety cited.
MarineTraffic, a service that collects radio and satellite transponder data from ships, tracked the Lady R off the South African coast in early December, but the signal was lost on Dec. 5. Ships are required by international law to keep their transponders on while at sea. Smugglers often turn them off to hide their movements.
Satellite imagery obtained by AP shows a ship the same length, color and layout as the Lady R docked at the naval base the following day and remained there through Dec. 8. AP also obtained photos of the ship at the naval base, the name Lady R clearly visible on its stern in both English and Russian. The ship set sail Dec. 9 and its transponder signal popped back up on Dec. 10. It returned to the Russian port of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea on Feb. 22.
Steenhuisen’s opposition party had previously raised questions over the appearance of a “mystery” Russian vessel in Simon’s Town. In late December, South African Defense Minister Thandi Modise said the ship was handling an “old order” for ammunition, and arms were offloaded, not loaded onto the ship.
The South African government has stated numerous times it is neutral on the war in Ukraine and wants the conflict resolved peacefully through diplomacy but recent displays of its closeness to Russia opened Africa’s most developed country to accusations that it has effectively taken Russia’s side.
South Africa hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks in January, giving him a platform to blame the West for the war in Ukraine.
Weeks later, South Africa allowed warships from the Russian and Chinese navies to perform drills off its east coast. The Russian navy brought its Admiral Gorshkov frigate, one of its navy’s flagship vessels. The South African navy took part in the drills and said they would “strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.”
South Africa also faces a diplomatic dilemma over a possible visit this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes involving the abductions of children from Ukraine. Putin is due to visit South Africa in August for a meeting of leaders of the BRICS economic bloc, made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
South Africa is a signatory to the international court based in The Hague, Netherlands, and obliged to arrest Putin. The government indicated it would not detain the Russian leader and threatened to leave the ICC instead. Ramaphosa’s office released a statement last month backtracking on the threat.
___
AP Writer Mogomotsi Magome in Johannesburg contributed to this story. AP Global Investigative Reporter Michael Biesecker reported from Washington.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
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