The South African Presidency issued on Friday, a statement refuting claims by the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, that arms were loaded onto a Russian ship known as the Lady R at Simon’s Town. This has resulted in South Africa’s neutral position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine being questioned.
Minister Khumbudzo Ntshaveni, who serves in The Presidency, has announced the initiation of an investigation to unravel the matter at hand. The Presidency clarified in their statement that they did not have any prior knowledge of anyone loading weapons onto the Russian cargo ship. The statement also pointed out that if anyone had indeed loaded weapons without proper authorization, it would be considered illegal.
Ntshaveni confirmed that they did not submit any application to the national and conventional arms control committee to send arms to Russia, Ukraine, or Belarus. They will investigate the reason for the Russian vessel docking in South Africa as well.
The investigation will determine the purpose of the Russian vessel docking in the country, what it carried, what it complied with, and what it left with, and the Presidency emphasized that South Africa has always maintained a neutral position on the conflict in Ukraine, and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise.