Central SA
#LadyRussiaGate leads to enquiry─── 16:25 Fri, 12 May 2023
The South African government has announced that it will issue a démarche to the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, in response to his explosive claims that the government provided weapons to Russia for its conflict in Ukraine.
The South African government has announced that it will issue a démarche to the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, in response to his explosive claims that the government provided weapons to Russia for its conflict in Ukraine.
A démarche is a formal diplomatic communication in which a government expresses its official position or displeasure on a particular matter to an appropriate official in another government.
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation on Friday announced that the department would be issuing a démarche to Brigety in response to his claims.
Spokesperson, Clayson Monyela, says that Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, will also be speaking with her US counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, later in the afternoon to address the issue.
At a media briefing Brigety said the US had established a Russian vessel known as Lady R docked and was loaded with weapons in Simon’s Town in December.
The statement was issued less than 24 hours after defenceWeb made known the lodging of a PAIA (Promotion of Access to Information Act) as regards cargo allegedly brought to South Africa by the Lady R and cargo seemingly taken on by the same vessel before she exited SA Navy fleet headquarters.
The PAIA request by the DA shadow defence and military veterans minister Kobus Marais, also asked Minister Thandi Modise’s Department of Defence to provide information as to what was on the cargo manifest of a Russian Il-76 transport when it landed at Air Force Base Waterkloof last week. He also asked for clarification as to cargo loaded before the aircraft took off from the Centurion base. It was reported to be carrying unspecified goods destined for the Russian Federation Embassy in Pretoria.
Monyela also stated that South Africa’s National Conventional Arms Control Committee has no record of any approved arms sale by the government to Russia during the time frame in question, as mentioned by the US ambassador.
“We welcome the inquiry established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish the facts and role players. If any crimes were committed, the law will take its course,” he said.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse has called on the government to be transparent about the US’s allegations.
