By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Russian cargo ship, Lady R, did not load South African weapons or ammunition when it called at the Simon’s Town Naval Base, the independent panel report finds.
The investigation was sparked by claims that South African arms were smuggled on board the vessel when it docked in Simon’s Town in December, 2022.
The three-member panel was appointed and chaired by the retired Deputy Judge President of the High Court in Johannesburg, Phineas Mojapelo. The other members were advocate Leah Gcabashe and former deputy minister of basic education Enver Surty.
The panel was tasked with establishing “persons who were aware of the cargo ship’s arrival, and, if any, the contents to be off-loaded or loaded”, along with the departure and destination of the cargo.
It was also “evaluating whether constitutional, legal or other obligations were complied with in relation to the cargo ship’ arrival, its stay, the loading or off-loading of its contents, and its departure.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa received the completed report into the matter on Friday.
According to a City Press report, it has been confirmed that the Lady R, the Russian cargo ship, did not load any weapons or ammunition from South Africa when it docked at the Simon’s Town Naval Base in December of last year.
Sources close to the report told the news outlet that the ship did, however, load food and other supplies for its return trip to Russia, according to the findings of an investigation.
The report further noted that, while weapons were involved, it confirmed that this was an old order that supplied South Africa with firearms and ammunition to equip the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)’s special forces in northern Mozambique – not the other way around.
Presidency said that once the president had studied its contents, consideration would be given to what could be made public.
The investigation and report came after the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, sounded the alarm that arms were supplied to Russia in May – kick-starting heightened diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the USA.
In a statement to the media in May, Brigety said that he would “bet his life” that arms were supplied to Russia.
This resulted in the prospect that South Africa could lose massive trade benefits due to its ties with Russia – as US legislators wrote to the US Secretary in June calling for the country to be ousted from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) agreement.