Johannesburg - Spokesperson for the Department of International Relations Clayton Monyela, has called for U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety to apologise for claiming that Russian cargo ship Lady R was loaded with arms.
This comes after the final report of the investigation into the claim, authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa, found it to be untrue.
"Those who claimed to have evidence to the contrary should now come forward and apologise. This allegation caused serious damage to our economy and reputation. Relations with strategic partners were strained based on a lie," Monyela said in a tweet on Sunday.
Two months ago, Ramaphosa ordered an independent three-member panel led by retired Judge Phineas Mojapelo, to investigate the allegation by the American diplomat, that South Africa had sent weapons to Russia via the cargo vessel that had docked at Simon's Town Naval Base on December 9, 2022.
However, the panel’s report, found that Lady R had not loaded a South African shipment of weapons or ammunition intended for Russia when it docked at the naval base.
The report found that the ship was loaded with food and other supplies for its return trip to Russia. It also found that the primary cargo the ship was carrying was an old arms order that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) had placed with Russia before the Covid-19 pandemic. These were acquired for use by the SANDF's special forces for their military intervention in northern Mozambique.
The findings of the report confirmed the Minister of Defence Thandi Modise’s dismissal of Brigety’s claim.
In May, Brigety told the media that the U.S. believed weapons and ammunition had been loaded onto the Russian cargo ship.
"We are confident that weapons were loaded on to that vessel, and I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion," Brigety said at the time.
The Star