Lady R - The African Mirror

May

29

2023

South Africa to investigate US allegation of arms shipment to Russia

SOUTH Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a panel to investigate U.S. allegations that a Russian ship had collected weapons from a naval base near Cape Town last year, the presidency said in a statement. The U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said on May 11 that he was confident that a Russian ship, which docked at a naval base in Simonstown in the Western Cape in December last year, took aboard weapons from South Africa. An allegation South Africa has since denied. The allegations have caused a diplomatic row between the U.S., South Africa and Russia and called into…

May

18

2023

By The African Mirror

Did South Africa sell arms to Russia? Only a series of unlikely scenarios could have made it possible

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

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 a popular narrative that South Africa was increasingly siding with Russia in relation to Moscow’s aggressive war in Ukraine. Author GUY LAMB, Criminologist / Senior Lecturer, Stellenbosch University Brigety’s statements made both South African and international news headlines, including the Wall Street Journal, CNN and the Financial Times. He asserted that based on US intelligence reports, ammunition and/or arms were furtively loaded onto a Russian cargo vessel, the “Lady R”,…

May

16

2023

By The African Mirror

S.Africa’s army chief visits Moscow for bilateral talks

NEWS

THE South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said that its army chief, Lawrence Mbatha, was in Moscow for a bilateral meeting, where he will visit Russian military academies and hold talks with officials. "It must be noted that South Africa has military-to-military bilateral relations with various countries in the continent and beyond," the SANDF said in a statement, adding that the meeting in Russia was planned well in advance. Earlier on Monday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country's non-aligned position did not favour Russia over other states and reiterated its call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict…

May

15

2023

By The African Mirror

South Africa is ‘actively non-aligned’ on Ukraine war, says government

NEWS

SOUTH Africa's presidential security advisor said the country was "actively non-aligned" in Russia's war against Ukraine after U.S. allegations it had supplied weapons to Moscow led to a diplomatic crisis this week. The U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said on Thursday he was confident a Russian ship under U.S. sanctions had collected weapons from a base near Cape Town in December. Senior U.S. officials had "profound concerns" about South Africa not respecting its professed policy of non-alignment, he added. Speaking after leading a delegation on a U.S. visit last month, Sydney Mufamadi, security advisor to President Cyril Ramaphosa, emphasised the…

May

15

2023

By The African Mirror

South Africa is ‘actively non-aligned’ on Ukraine war

NEWS

SOUTH Africa's presidential security advisor said the country was "actively non-aligned" in Russia's war against Ukraine after U.S. allegations it had supplied weapons to Moscow led to a diplomatic crisis this week. The U.S. ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety said on Thursday he was confident a Russian ship under U.S. sanctions had collected weapons from a base near Cape Town in December. Senior U.S. officials had "profound concerns" about South Africa not respecting its professed policy of non-alignment, he added. Speaking after leading a delegation on a U.S. visit last month, Sydney Mufamadi, security advisor to President Cyril Ramaphosa, emphasised the…