Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor will consult first before deciding on the course against US ambassador Reuben Brigety for his allegations that South Africa sold arms to Russia.
President Cyril Ramaphosa released the report a few weeks ago following an investigation into the allegations made by Brigety.
Brigety alleged that the Russian ship that docked in Simon’s Town in December last year had loaded weapons destined for the war in Ukraine.
But this was denied by Defence Minister Thandi Modise, who said last December, the Russian vessel was delivering equipment that was ordered in 2018, but it could not be delivered on time because of Covid-19.
The inquiry chaired by retired Judge Phineas Mojapelo found that no weapons were loaded aboard the vessel. The inquiry said it would not disclose the nature of the goods that were delivered in Simon’s Town for security reasons.
Pandor, who was replying to a written parliamentary question from IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa, said they were still deciding on what action would be taken against Brigety for his allegations.
“In the wake of the release of the outcomes of the Investigation Panel into the Lady R, the department will, after thorough consultation, decide on a course of action in respect of the US ambassador, should this be deemed necessary, taking into account the overall impact on our bilateral relations with the US and the foreign policy interests of the country,” said Pandor.
The EFF and SACP are some of the parties that called for the expulsion of the US ambassador over his claims.
They said he had undermined the State and diplomatic protocol by going public with his statement without evidence.
They said it has not happened before that a diplomat would make public statements on such issues.
Pandor said when Brigety claimed that the Russian ship received weapons from South Africa she called him to a meeting in Pretoria.
“Following the allegations made by US ambassador Reuben Brigety, he was dèmarched by the department. During the meeting between the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation and ambassador Brigety, South Africa expressed deep disappointment and displeasure at the manner in which the allegations were made, especially since there are prescribed diplomatic protocols which should have been used to convey any grievance/concerns of the US Government in relation to the Lady R vessel,” said Pandor.
The allegations had led to a diplomatic fallout between Pretoria and Washington, with some of the leading US Congress members calling for the Biden administration to move the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) summit to another country.
Agoa was last hosted by Côte d'Ivoire in 2019. But last week South Africa and the US agreed that the summit will take place in Johannesburg in November.
South Africa has also insisted it was non-aligned in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Ramaphosa recently led a peace mission of seven African countries to Kyiv and St Petersburg to resolve the conflict.
Ramaphosa last week met with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, who told him some of the issues raised by African leaders have been addressed.
This includes the return of some of the children who had been taken to Russia and the exchange of prisoners of war.
Ramaphosa had also met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg in July.
This was after Ramaphosa, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, Comoros President Azali Assoumani, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and envoys from Congo-Brazzaville and Uganda met with Zelensky and Putin weeks before.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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