The South African National Defense Force (SANDF) announced on Monday that its army chief, Lawrence Mbatha, was on a bilateral visit to Moscow, where he would engage in meetings with Russian officials and visit military academies. The SANDF clarified that South Africa maintains military-to-military bilateral relations with various countries, both on the African continent and beyond, emphasizing that the meeting in Russia had been planned well in advance.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his weekly presidential newsletter, reiterated the country’s non-aligned position, emphasizing that it did not favor Russia over other states. He further called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. These remarks came in response to recent allegations made by the United States, claiming that weapons were loaded onto a Russian ship from a naval base in Cape Town last year, which sparked a diplomatic dispute.
South African officials promptly refuted the claims made by the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, who expressed concerns over South Africa’s stance of non-alignment and neutrality regarding Russia’s actions in Ukraine. President Ramaphosa emphasized that South Africa’s non-aligned position does not prioritize Russia and that it remains committed to maintaining relations with all countries.
The South African government stated that it would honor international agreements and treaties to which it is a signatory, and any response to the allegations of arms shipment would be in accordance with these commitments. An inquiry led by a retired judge has been initiated to investigate the matter, as concrete evidence supporting the allegations has not been provided.
Following the diplomatic row, Ambassador Brigety was summoned to meet South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, and he issued an “unreserved” apology to the South African government and its people. The government welcomed the apology, and discussions were held to clarify and rectify any misunderstandings arising from Brigety’s public remarks.
While South Africa maintains an impartial stance on U.N. resolutions related to Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, Western countries view it as one of Moscow’s closest allies on the African continent.
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