-
South Africa: Ever-Closer Ties With Russia Jeopardise Annual Exports to U.S. Under AGOA Deal
Daily Maverick, 17 May 2023
South Africa exports an enormous amount of goods to the US annually - including vehicles, aluminium, chemicals, fruit, wine, ferroalloys, and even ice cream and edible ice. But now… Read more »
-
South Africa: Army Chief Visits Moscow for Talks About Military Cooperation
Daily Maverick, 15 May 2023
Amid a crisis in relations with the US over South Africa's growing relations with Russia, head of the SA army Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha is visiting Moscow for talks on… Read more »
-
South Africa: President Reiterates Country's Position On Russia-Ukraine Conflict
SAnews.gov.za, 15 May 2023
President Cyril Ramaphosa, through his weekly newsletter to the nation, has reiterated South Africa's stance that the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine must be resolved… Read more »
-
South Africa: Diplomatic Spat Over 'Russian Weapons Transfer' Rises to Cabinet Level
allAfrica, 14 May 2023
The South African and United States Cabinet officials responsible for foreign affairs have stepped into the diplomatic row over the alleged transfer in South Africa of weapons to a… Read more »
-
South Africa: South Africa's Dangerous Game of Russian Roulette
ISS, 15 May 2023
Miscalculations in handling accusations that arms were provided to Russia could cost South Africa dearly. Read more »
-
South Africa: Did South Africa Sell Arms to Russia? Only a Series of Unlikely Scenarios Could Have Made It Possible
The Conversation Africa, 16 May 2023
On 11 May 2023 the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, claimed that South Africa had secretly exported arms to Russia in December 2022. The announcement rapidly fed into… Read more »
-
South Africa: Ukraine President Zelensky Warns Ramaphosa Against Selling Arms to Russia
Daily Maverick, 14 May 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also said, in his daily public address on Saturday, delivered from Rome, that he had asked the South African President to support his 'peace… Read more »
-
South Africa: U.S. Rang Alarm Bells About Alleged Russian Arms Trade in February - Minister
Daily Maverick, 13 May 2023
The impact on the South African economy of any secondary sanctions which the US might impose on this country because of its stance on Russia's war against Ukraine - including the… Read more »
-
South Africa: Govt Summons U.S. Ambassador Over Russia Weapons Row
VOA, 12 May 2023
A war of words is brewing between the U.S. and South Africa after the U.S. ambassador to the country said he would "bet his life" on U.S. intelligence that South African weapons… Read more »
-
South Africa: U.S. Ambassador Apologised for Russia Arms Comment - South Africa's Foreign Ministry
Govt of SA, 13 May 2023
The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has demarched the United States Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben E Brigety, and expressed the South African… Read more »
-
South Africa: Secretary Blinken's Call with South African Minister Pandor
State Department, 12 May 2023
Readout - Office of the Spokesperson Read more »
-
South Africa: U.S. Accuses South Africa of Supplying Arms to Russia
Scrolla, 11 May 2023
The US has accused South Africa of secretly supplying arms to Russia. Read more »
-
South Africa: Presidency Responds to Claims of Weapons Supply to Russia Made By the U.S. Ambassador
Govt of SA, 11 May 2023
The Presidency has noted with concern remarks attributed to the United States Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben E Brigety, alleging the supply by South Africa of weapons to… Read more »
-
South Africa: U.S. Ambassador Lashes Out At ANC Govt for 'Providing Arms and Ammunition to Russia'
Daily Maverick, 11 May 2023
After months of silence about the Russian vessel which docked in Simon's Town, the Presidency's solution to the quagmire is an independent inquiry to be led by a retired judge. Read more »
-
South Africa: Ramaphosa - Between the 'Devil' and the ANC
Scrolla, 12 May 2023
President Cyril Ramaphosa is on the horns of a brutal political dilemma. Read more »
-
South Africa: Ramaphosa Lied Over Involvement in Russia-Ukraine War, Opposition Party Says
DA, 11 May 2023
The declaration by United States Ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, that war materials and ammunition were loaded onto sanctioned Russian ship, Lady R, which departed… Read more »
South African Army Boss Visits Russia Amid Weapons Spat with U.S.
Amid a crisis in relations with the United States over South Africa's growing relations with Russia, head of the SA army Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha is visiting Moscow for talks on 'improving combat readiness', according to Russia's defence ministry, citing TASS, the state-run news agency.
The Daily Maverick's Peter Fabricius writes that Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha is meeting, among others, his Russian counterpart Colonel-General Oleg Salyukov. The timing, if not the mission of Mbatha's visit, seems likely to blow another hole in Pretoria's claim to be non-aligned in the stand-off between Russia and the West over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Fabricius writes.
South Africa's foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with one another late on Friday May 12, 2023 about what Blinken described as "the vital U.S.-South Africa relationship."
Blinken's call to Pandor was made after South Africa summoned the U.S. ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, in a diplomatic démarche to protest his remarks on Thursday that the U.S. was "confident" that weapons and ammunition were loaded onto the Russian cargo ship Lady R at the South African naval base in Simon's Town in December 2022.
On Saturday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed "disappointment" with Brigety's "undiplomatic" handling of the matter. Earlier, the Presidency said the remarks had undermined "the spirit of cooperation and partnership that characterised the recent engagements between U.S. government officials and a South African official delegation led by National Security Special Advisor to the President, Dr Sydney Mufumadi".
The Presidency said it was public knowledge that a Russian vessel known as Lady R had docked in Simon's Town. "Allegations have since been made about the purpose of the voyage. While no evidence has been provided to date to support these allegations, the Government has undertaken to institute an independent enquiry to be led by a retired judge," the statement said.
InFocus
-
The South African government has elected to consider allowing Vladimir Putin's remote attendance to the 2023 BRICS summit ion an effort to navigate the bureaucratic headache that ... Read more »
-
Russia's President Vladimir Putin will be attending the Brics Summit in August this year, on invitation by the South African government. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in ... Read more »
-
South Africa is hosting a joint naval exercise, Exercise Mosi II, with Russia and China. Read more »
Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa at the first plenary session of the 2019 Russia-Africa Summit at the Sirius Park of Science and Art in Sochi, Russia, 24 October 2019.
