CAPE TOWN – The Department of International Relations and Cooperation has said in a statement on Friday that the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, had “admitted that he crossed a line” and “apologised unreservedly” after he said a Russian ship had picked up weapons in South Africa last year, causing a diplomatic uproar.
Full statement from Dirco:
On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the government is still looking into the docking of a sanctioned Russian ship the ‘Lady R’ at the Simon’s Town naval base.
Ramaphosa was responding to a question by DA leader John Steenhuisen about reports from the United States ambassador that arms had been loaded onto the ship.
Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema says the current South African government has no capacity to empower Russia with weapons.
He said US concerns about South Africa’s posture in the war between Russia and Ukraine were unfounded.
“We’ve got a long-standing relationship with Russia (from) when it was still under the Soviet Union, and Russia has helped us to be where we are. We would not be dictated to by the USA in terms of who becomes our friend,” he said.
Malema said there was nothing to be worried about, as there was no capacity in South Africa to supply Russia with weapons.
“If anything, it is the other way round. Therefore, the president said he is going to investigate. We will hear what the outcomes are,” he said.
The EFF leader said the US was becoming a cry-baby that was trying to find a way to manage South Africa because of the position it took on the Russia-Ukraine war.
He said this was an attempt to put pressure on South Africa in the run-up to the Brics conference.
“They want us not to allow President Putin to come, and now they are spreading false alarms and propaganda as an attempt to put pressure on South Africa. We call on our government not to surrender to that,” Malema said.
He said President Vladimir Putin was more than welcome in the country, and that the people of South Africa would protect him.
“Not that he doesn’t have the capacity to protect himself. No one in the whole African continent combined has got the capacity to arrest President Putin. So you shouldn’t even take chances,” he said.
Malema said it was important for South Africa to sell itself to BRICS and Russia.
“We have an energy crisis, and Russia is in a better place to intervene with immediate effect to help South Africa,” said Malema.
