Ramaphosa Appoints Judge to Investigate Russian Weapons Allegations

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a judge to oversee an investigation into allegations that the country supplied weapons to Russia on a ship secretly docked at a naval base in December.

The accusations were made this month by the US Ambassador to South Africa, who said he was confident the weapons and ammunition were loaded onto the Russian-flagged cargo ship Lady R when it docked at the Simonstown Naval Base near Cape Town at the end of last year.

Ambassador Reuben Brighetti indicated that the United States had information to support the allegation and said he would put his life on the line for the accuracy of his claim that weapons had been loaded onto the ship.

The container ship Lady R has been sanctioned by the United States for being associated with a company that was transporting weapons to aid Russian military operations in Ukraine.

South Africa denies the existence of any government-sanctioned deal to supply arms to Russia, although it does not categorically rule out the possibility of an unofficial deal involving another organization.

PMD Judge Mohapelo, a former Supreme Court of Appeal judge, has been appointed to chair a three-member panel to investigate the incident, Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement Sunday. A lawyer and a former Minister of Justice were also appointed.

The commission has six weeks to complete its investigation and another two weeks to report to Ramaphosa, the president’s office said.

“The team was tasked with investigating people who knew about the arrival of the cargo ship and, if applicable, the contents that needed to be unloaded or loaded, the departure and destination of the cargo,” Ramaphosa’s office said.

Ramaphosa ordered an investigation due to the seriousness of the allegations and “the impact of this matter on South Africa’s international relations”, the South African president added.

South Africa could violate international law and its own arms sales laws if it is found to have supplied arms to Moscow for the war in Ukraine.

The incident affected relations between the US and South Africa, which is the most developed economy in Africa and one of the main Western partners on the continent.

South African Defense Minister Tandi Modize said that “Lady R.” arrived to deliver a shipment of ammunition from Russia, which was ordered by South Africa in 2018, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Modize refused to release documents related to Lady R’s visit at the request of opposition parties, saying they were confidential. However, he said that he would release them for investigation.

Meanwhile, the United States expressed “concern” to the government of Mozambique over the fact that a cargo ship docked in the country’s port in January, a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Maputo told Lusa.

“The US Embassy expressed concern to Mozambican government officials about the anchoring of a Russian cargo ship under US sanctions in the port of Beira in January this year,” he said, answering questions posed by Lusa.

“Ever since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine began, the United States and partners have been working with governments around the world to limit Russia’s access to everything that supports its military,” he added, without elaborating.

Mozambique took a stance of neutrality in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, abstaining from a vote condemning Russia at the United Nations and calling for dialogue to end the conflict from its seat as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. .