South Africa probing US allegation of Pretoria’s secret arms sales to Russia

United States’ accusations leveled against South Africa that it had been secretly selling weapons to Russia has sent the African country’s currency tumbling to record low on Thursday (11 May).
The US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, accused the country on Thursday of providing weapons and ammunition to Russia for its war in Ukraine via a cargo ship that docked secretly at a naval base near the city of Cape Town for three days in December. In a briefing to local journalists, Brigety also stressed that “arming of Russia by South Africa with the vessel … is fundamentally unacceptable,” adding that senior US officials had “profound concerns” about South Africa not respecting its professed policy of non-alignment and neutrality with regard to Russia’s war.
Although Pretoria rejected these allegations, questions were subsequently raised in South Africa’s parliament on the same day and President Cyril Ramaphosa said an investigation was underway. The government is opening an independent inquiry led by a retired judge into the allegation, Ramaphosa’s office said in a statement on Thursday. But some in Pretoria criticized what they called a “counter-productive public posture” by the US, saying both countries had discussed the matter. Washington has repeatedly warned countries against providing material support to Russia, cautioning that those who do may be denied access to the world’s most important markets.