South Africa denies allegations of transferring weapons to Russia.

South African officials have denied supplying weapons to Russia, refuting earlier claims made by the US ambassador to the country.

On May 12, South African Minister for Communications and Digital Technology Mondli Gungubele, who heads the National Conventional Arms Control Commission, affirmed that the country has never supplied weapons to Russia, emphasizing that the transfer of military equipment onto Russian cargo ships docking in South African ports is "illegal and inappropriate".

The statement came a day after U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said that weapons and ammunition had been loaded onto a cargo ship docked at South Africa's Simon's Town naval base in December 2022. The ship Ambassador Brigety referred to was most likely the Lady R, a Russian-flagged cargo ship subject to Western sanctions.

The cargo ship Lady R is docked in South Africa in December 2022. Photo: Reuters — The cargo ship Lady R is docked in South Africa in December 2022. Photo: *Reuters*

The South African president's office also stated on May 11 that there was no evidence to support this claim, but announced it had launched an independent investigation led by a former judge to examine the allegations.

"We are disappointed that Ambassador Brigety has displayed an unconstructive attitude. His statements have undermined the spirit of bilateral cooperation," said South African government spokesman Vincent Magwenya.

The US State Department also issued a more conciliatory statement than Ambassador Brigety. "We remain committed to the issues on the agenda with our South African partners," said State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.

South Africa has declined to condemn Russia's war in Ukraine. The country says it wants to remain neutral and supports dialogue as a channel to end the conflict.

Earlier this year, South Africa held a controversial joint military exercise with Russia and China. Observers believe this is evidence of their growing alignment with the Kremlin.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said late last month that South Africa's ruling party believes the country should withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). This move came shortly after the ICC issued arrest warrants on March 17 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, on charges of "illegally transporting" Ukrainian children to Russia.

However, President Cyril Ramaphosa's office later clarified that the country had no plans to withdraw from the ICC, stating that the earlier statement was "a communication error on the part of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party."

Vu Anh (According to Reuters )

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