By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Presidency says a report by an independent panel on the investigation into the docking of the Russian cargo vessel – Lady R – has been completed.
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.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to receive the completed report into the matter on Friday.
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.”
The panel was established after the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, told journalists in May that Washington was “confident that weapons were loaded on to the Lady R in a clandestine operation last December.
Brigety’s accusations were catalytic and prompted International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor to demarche him.
At a media briefing on Thursday, Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said the report had been completed.
“The panel concluded its investigation, there was a submission that arrived late which caused a minor delay for the panel. The chair of the panel did not request a deadline extension. By the end of business tomorrow [Friday] the report will be completed and will be ready for handover to the president as soon as his schedule permits.
“Once the president has consumed the report he will then decide on the actions to be followed as guided by the report and on the aspects of the report that will be made public,” he said.
However the panel’s terms of reference were not gazetted, and the work of the panel were not going to be made public, nor will its report be released publicly.
Which prompted a mounting criticism from civil society groups and political parties about the government’s decision to keep the Lady R probe report confidential.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) announced that it had submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) application to obtain a copy of the panel’s terms of reference.
The civil society organisations Open Secrets and the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse have called on the government to make public the details surrounding the Lady R.