The DA has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise of covering up the docking of Russian ship Lady R in Simon’s Town in December 2022.
The accusation follows allegations by US ambassador Reuben Brigety that South Africa supplied arms to Russia during Lady R’s docking.
Brigety also criticized the ANC for being unresponsive to attempts by the US to engage in dialogue and for having a “hostile” policy on the war in Ukraine.
The government has denied Brigety’s allegations and stated that its interaction with Lady R was consistent with its non-aligned stance on the war in Ukraine.
Ramaphosa has also announced an independent inquiry into the matter. In response, Russia has stated that it intends to intensify mutually beneficial relations with South Africa.
However, according to DA MP Emma Louise Powell, the president and the minister knew about the docking of Lady R.
Powell believes the ANC played “Russian roulette” with the country’s economy and risked billions of rands worth of trade protected by the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in order to secure party-political funding from “warmongers”.
“It is clear that both president Ramaphosa and minister Modise know exactly what transpired in December and are now desperately treading water,” said Powell.
“By announcing that a judge will be called out of retirement to conduct an investigation, the ANC is simply kicking for touch in what appears to be a desperate scramble to manage this fast-unfolding diplomatic crisis.
“In order to shore up party-political funding from warmongers, the ANC has played Russian roulette with 100 000 jobs and billions of rands worth of trade currently protected by the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act.” said Powell.
According to Powell, Bridgety’s claims were a warning to government that helping Russia’s actions would harm the country’s economy and lead to sanctions, indicating that it is a serious situation that could leave South Africa isolated and marginalised.
“Make no mistake, this week’s revelations by American ambassador Reuben Brigety were designed to send a definitive message to Ramaphosa’s cabinet that aiding and abetting Russian aggression will have dire consequences for the South African economy.
“This growing impasse also risks South Africa being relegated to the dustbin of history alongside the likes of North Korea and Iran – both of whom are under US sanction for their supply of arms to the Russian Federation.”
She said as Russia grows increasingly desperate for ammunition to continue its war of aggression in Ukraine, it is clear that it is willing to accept ammunition scraps from any willing sponsor.
“By providing ammunition to Russia, South Africa would be directly aiding and abetting the use of force against Ukraine. This is a serious violation of international law.
“Article 2[4] of the United Nations charter prohibits the threat or use of force and calls on all members to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of other states.
“Article 2[5] of the charter states that members shall refrain from giving assistance to a state against which the United Nations is taking preventive or enforcement action.”
Powell has urged the government to take a firm stance on the international stage in light of UN’s recognition of Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine.
She said: “The plagues of despotism, genocide, and war are only defeated when democracies work together to preserve a rules-based international order that respects the right to self-determination and the principle of territorial sovereignty.
“South Africa simply cannot be complicit in a war of aggression that now risks undermining both our domestic priorities and international peace and security.
“The message to the president is now clear: come clean and shift course, or the United States will do so on your behalf.”
Sunday World reported at the weekend that the controversial US ambassador has been exposed as a hoaxer and a Picasso of lies for claiming that his attempts to meet the governing party fell on deaf ears.
He claimed that Luthuli House, the ANC headquarters in Johannesburg, had repeatedly ignored his requests for a meeting, where he would have sought to understand the party’s position on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
But Sunday World revealed that Brigety was just pulling the wool over the public’s eyes, as he as recently as two weeks ago met with ANC treasurer-general Gwen Ramokgopa, who was accompanied by Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel.
A senior ANC leader said the US ambassador in fact did not request any meeting, but the ANC on its own accord was planning to meet him as part of its mission to solidify relations with all countries.
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