The US has accused South Africa of supplying arms to Russia as part of a covert naval operation, fueling a foreign policy crisis for President Cyril Ramaphosa over the country’s ties to the Kremlin and his stance on the Ukraine war.
Reuben Brigety, US ambassador to South Africa, told local media on Thursday that the US understands arms and ammunition were loaded onto the Lady R, a Russian ship under sanctions and docked at the Simon’s Town naval dockyard in December docked near Cape Town.
“One of the things we noticed was the cargo ship docking. . . We are sure he loaded arms and ammunition on the ship in Simon’s Town when it returned to Russia,” he said in an op-ed reported by South Africa’s News24 newspaper.
Brigety also said senior US officials were “deeply concerned” by the incident, which “does not suggest to us the actions of a non-aligned country.” The US embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ramaphosa’s office responded by saying that an independent investigation led by a retired judge would be launched to look into the US allegations. It also said there had been talks between South African and US officials about the ship and an agreement allowing the investigation to continue.
“It is therefore disappointing that the US Ambassador has taken a counterproductive public position that undermines the understanding achieved on this matter and the very positive and constructive discussions between the two delegations,” Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement.
US anger over the incident highlights rising tensions between the West and countries that have refused to condemn Russia for the war or join the sanctions effort.
Like South Africa, India continues to view Russia as a friendly nation, and Western diplomats are struggling to persuade developing countries in Africa and Asia to back Ukraine’s war. Brigety also criticized a resolution by the ruling African National Congress that said: “The US provoked war with Russia over Ukraine.”
John Steenhuisen, leader of South Africa’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, called for an urgent parliamentary debate on South Africa’s involvement in Russia, saying the US allegation calls into question “the transparency” of the ANC.
The rand fell 2 percent to 19.20 rand per US dollar, its weakest since April 2020, following Brigety’s comments.
South Africa has said it is non-aligned in the war, but the Ramaphosa government is under pressure over signs it is favoring Russia, for example by conducting joint naval exercises this year.
Ramaphosa has also extended an invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend a summit of Brics leaders in Johannesburg in August – a move that backfired for Pretoria after the International Criminal Court indicted Putin on war crimes charges. South Africa, a member of the International Criminal Court, would be legally obliged to arrest Putin if he travels there.
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Sydney Mufamadi, Ramaphosa’s national security adviser, recently visited the US to explain South Africa’s stance and try to maintain trade ties.
The Lady R scandal is likely to overshadow these efforts.
The Lady R, owned by Transmorflot, a company under US sanctions last year, appeared to have switched off her transponder as she docked in Cape Town after a voyage along the west coast of Africa.
South Africa’s defense minister said after the ship left port that it had made a delivery for the country’s defense forces, but gave no details as to what the ship might have picked up in Cape Town.
The South African government officially denied in January that it had approved arms sales from South Africa to Russia since Moscow began the all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Additional reporting by Mary McDougall in London