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An investigation in South Africa has rejected a U.S. allegation that the country supplied weapons under U.S. sanctions to a Russian ship docked at a naval base in Cape Town, after the allegation threatened ties between the U.S. and Africa’s most industrial economy.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday that an investigation had “found that there was no evidence to support the claim that the ship was transporting weapons from South Africa for Russia”, as the US ambassador in Pretoria had claimed this year.
“All things considered, none of the allegations about arms sales to Russia have been proven to be true,” he said. “None of the individuals who made these claims were able to provide any evidence to support the claims.”
The Lady R, a ship from the Russian MG-FLOT, docked at the Simon’s Town base in December under mysterious circumstances and, among other things, appeared to switch off its transponder signal. The South African Ministry of Defense said at the time that the ship was carrying a shipment for the country’s armed forces.
Ambassador Reuben Brigety claimed in May that the US government was confident that the ship had also “loaded weapons and ammunition” in Cape Town on the way back to Russia, even though the South African government had not given official approval for arms exports to Russia or Ukraine since the start of the war have granted.
The claim sparked a diplomatic storm for Ramaphosa’s government, which had said it was non-aligned on the war in Ukraine, and rocked South Africa’s financial markets as trade ties between key South African export industries and the United States suddenly came into question.
“The allegations made against our country have had a damaging impact on our currency, economy and reputation in the world,” Ramaphosa said on Sunday.
Brigety and the US government did not provide detailed evidence of the allegation, but Ramaphosa’s government was also unable to fully deny it, leading to the establishment of a commission of inquiry led by a retired judge to investigate.
The lawsuit came after growing frustration in Washington over South Africa’s relations with Russia, such as joint naval exercises on the anniversary of the war and what was seen as Pretoria’s equivocation in condemning the invasion.
But the Biden administration has since moved to improve relations with the largest U.S. trading partner in Africa, one of several non-aligned countries where Washington has tried to lobby for war to challenge Russia’s narrative of the conflict .
The US State Department said on Sunday it appreciated “the seriousness” of the panel’s investigation into Lady R. The State Department added it was “in direct communication” with Ramaphosa’s government and would continue discussions through diplomatic channels.
“We appreciate President Ramaphosa’s commitment to investigating this serious matter and look forward to working with our South African partners to advance progress on our shared priorities, including trade, health and climate,” the State Department said.
Ramaphosa has also sent ministers and advisers to Capitol Hill to prevent trade preferences from being withdrawn in favor of South Africa’s access to US markets. Since then, he played a larger role in African diplomacy during the war, visiting Kiev and Moscow.
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Ramaphosa said on Sunday that the investigation into the Lady R had confirmed that the ship had delivered materials to the South African armed forces. The full investigation report will not be made public because of the need for military security for the delivery, but a summary will be released on Monday, he said.
The inquiry visited the naval base, heard from almost 50 people and reviewed more than 100 documents, Ramaphosa said.
The U.S. Embassy in Pretoria did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The United States imposed sanctions on MG-FLOT at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year because it allegedly used the company’s ships to transport weapons for the Russian government.