CAPTOWN: South Africa’s foreign ministry said the United States ambassador has “apologised unreservedly” for claiming that South Africa sold weapons to Russia.
According to BBC, Reuben Brigety alleged the Russian ship was loaded with ammunition, arms and weapons in Cape Town the last previous December.
South Africa said it has no record of weapons sales, and President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an inquiry. The White House national security spokesman on Friday wouldn’t be drawn on the information of the allegations. But John Kirby said it was a “serious problem”, and the United States had consistently urged countries not to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.
After meeting the foreign ministry, Brigety said he was “grateful for the opportunity to… correct any misimpressions left by my people remarks”.
In the conversation, he “re-affirmed the strong relationships between our two countries and the significant agenda our presidents have given us”.
South African minister targeted such “megaphone diplomacy”, saying South Africa couldn’t be “bullied by the United States”.
Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a minister in the presidency, said, “It is the United States which has sanctions against Russia… they must not drag us into their problem with Russia.”
Her bullish comments followed the Kremlin statement said President Vladimir Putin had spoken to his South African counterpart by phone, and the two had agreed to deepen “mutually beneficial relations”.
There is no issue that a Russian ship docked at the naval base near Cape Town last December – prompting questions from local politicians. Whether the ship was supplied with weapons before returning to Russia still needs to be established.
If the accusations are true, South Africa would have violated its own Arms Control Act, which commits to “not trade in conventional weapons with states engaged in repression, aggression and terrorism”.
South Africa said, “responsible member of the world community”.
South Africa is one of the handful of countries abstaining from several United Nations votes on the conflict. It has refused to publicly condemn Russia, insisting it is non-aligned on the issue.
