The U.S. ambassador to South Africa accused the nation on Thursday of supplying Russia with weapons and ammunition for its conflict in Ukraine through a cargo ship that made a three-day covert port call at a naval base close to Cape Town in December.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation was ongoing after questions were raised in the South African parliament on Thursday.
According to reports of his remarks published by numerous South African news agencies, Ambassador Reuben Brigety stated that the U.S. was confident that the equipment was taken to Russia after being placed onto the Russian ship at the Simon’s Town naval facility.
Ramaphosa was in Cape Town responding to enquiries from lawmakers when word of Brigety’s remarks spread.
The president said, in response to a question regarding the weapons and ammunition, “the matter is being looked into, and in time we will be able to speak about it.”
Ramaphosa refrained to make any additional comments, stating that an enquiry must be completed.
John Steenhuisen, the head of the opposition party, questioned the president on if South Africa “actively arms Russian soldiers who are killing and maiming innocent people.”
Ramaphosa was asked to confirm that “weapons of war” had been carried onto the Russian ship by Steenhuisen.
Russia is now having trouble with its ammunition supplies in the conflict. Wagner, the commander of the Russian private army, expressed dissatisfaction last week, alleging that his mercenary soldiers in Ukraine were suffering from severe shortages.
Ramaphosa’s office acknowledged that a Russian ship by the name of the Lady R had moored in South Africa in a statement released later on Thursday, but it made no mention of the location or the reason for the trip.
The statement attacked the American ambassador for making public comments and said that it had been agreed that U.S. intelligence agencies will offer any information they have to support South Africa’s probe.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, the United States imposed sanctions on The Lady R and Transmorflot LLC for its roles in the transfer of military hardware and weapons.
The suspected arming of Russia during its invasion of Ukraine by South Africa, according to Brigety, was “extremely serious” and put into question South Africa’s purported neutrality.
The Lady R did indeed dock at the Simon’s Town naval base during the time period Brigety mentioned, according to independent confirmation by The Associated Press.
