The United States has accused South Africa of supplying ammunition to Russia on a Russian ship that docked at Simonstown Naval Base in Cape Town in December 2022. informed local edition of News24.
US Ambassador to South Africa Ruben Brighetti said that Washington is convinced of the non-respect of the “non-alignment” position declared by the South African authorities with the Russian position on Ukraine.
“Among what we noted was the anchorage of a freighter at Simonstown Naval Base between December 6 and 8, 2022. We are sure weapons and ammunition were loaded onto the ship, after which he returned to Russia,” the diplomat said.
Brighetti warned that the US government takes the issue very seriously and will seek to ensure that South Africa adheres to “its policy of non-alignment”.
Ukrainian Ambassador to South Africa Lyubov Abravitova informed News24 that he will request an “urgent” meeting with Defense Minister Tandi Modize in connection with the US ambassador’s statement that South African authorities are supplying ammunition to Russia. However, the publication recalls that Abravitova failed to gain an audience with senior South African officials.
The American ambassador decided to hold the press conference after a trip to the United States with a delegation of South African officials led by the country’s presidential adviser on security issues, Sidney Mufamadi. The focus of the talks was the implementation of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
AGOA is a unilateral trade preference program introduced under the administration of Bill Clinton in 2000, under which goods originating in sub-Saharan Africa are eligible for duty-free access to US markets.
During the briefing, Brighetti was asked by reporters about the accuracy of the US intelligence report that South Africa had sent munitions to Russia. He replied that he was “willing to bet his life on it”.
The Lady R’s arrival at Naval Station Simonstown in December 2022 has sparked much speculation and concern. Brighetti said at the time that he formally spoke to South African Defense Minister Tandi Modise and expressed his “serious concern”. The ambassador reacted similarly to a joint South African, Russian and Chinese naval exercise in South African waters, which coincided with the anniversary of the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
News24 recalls that the obvious influence of Russia on the authorities of South Africa manifested itself during the reign of the former President of the Republic, Jacob Zuma. It grew to such an extent that then finance minister Nhlanhla Nene attributed his dismissal in December 2015 to the refusal to approve the deal with Rosatom.
Nene said the cost of building eight nuclear reactors capable of generating 9,600 megawatts would be “astronomical” – it was around $40-50 billion from the government for the nuclear programme. This happened before Zuma met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ufa on the sidelines of the BRICS summit.
“Because of my refusal, I was considered a person obstructing the nuclear agreement. I was accused of disobeying the president and some of my colleagues,” said Nene, who has was fired five months later.
Additionally, according to News24, Zuma credited Putin with saving him from a poisoning allegedly orchestrated by American spies. In May 2020, in a YouTube interview, Zuma called Russia the only place he “had any hope of being saved.” The politician’s son, Duduzane, confirmed that he accompanied him to Moscow for treatment and praised the “excellent” Russian medical staff. He also called the alleged poisoning of his father an attempt on his life.
Zuma said he contacted Putin directly when he suspected poisoning. “I knew my friend would be the only one to help me. He sent me doctors,” explained the former South African president. According to him, the doctors recommended that he undergo treatment in Russia, where it was established that the poison was the cause of the disease. Zuma claimed they tried to poison him because of his “political beliefs” – specifically the fight against apartheid.
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