South Africa’s foreign ministry says the US ambassador has “apologised unreservedly” for claiming the country sold weapons to Russia.<\/P>
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On Thursday Reuben Brigety alleged a Russian ship was loaded with ammunition and weapons in Cape Town last December.<\/P>
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South Africa says it has no record of an arms sale and President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an inquiry.<\/P>
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On Friday the White House national security spokesman would not be drawn on details of the allegations.<\/P>
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But John Kirby said it was a “serious issue” and the US had consistently urged countries not to provide support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.<\/P>
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Writing on social media after meeting the foreign ministry, Mr Brigety said he was “grateful for the opportunity to… correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks”.<\/P>
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He said in the conversation he “re-affirmed the strong partnership between our two countries and the important agenda our presidents have given us”.<\/P>
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Meanwhile a South African cabinet minister hit out at such “megaphone diplomacy”, saying South Africa could not be “bullied by the US”.<\/P>
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“It is the US which has sanctions against Russia… they must not drag us into their issues with Russia,” Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, a minister in the presidency, told public broadcaster SABC.<\/P>
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Her bullish comments followed a Kremlin statement saying President Vladmir Putin had spoken to his South African counterpart by phone and the two had agreed to deepen “mutually beneficial ties”.<\/P>
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There is no dispute that a Russian ship, known as Lady R, docked at a naval base near Cape Town last December – prompting questions from local politicians at the time. Whether the ship was supplied with arms before returning to Russia still needs to be established.<\/P>
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If the accusations are true, South Africa will have violated its own Arms Control Act, which commits to “not trade in conventional arms with states engaged in repression, aggression or terrorism”.<\/P>
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In the same act, South Africa describes itself as a “responsible member of the international community”.<\/P>
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South Africa is one of a handful of countries that has abstained from a number of UN votes on the conflict and has refused to publicly condemn Russia, insisting it is non-aligned on the matter.<\/P>
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For months the regional superpower has been saying it instead supports a mediated settlement to the conflict.<\/P>
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Supplying arms while claiming to be neutral would not only rubbish that stance but would leave South Africa with a lot to answer both to its citizens and the international community.<\/P>
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Some in the governing African National Congress (ANC) appear to have a lingering affection for Russia because of the then-USSR’s support for their fight against white-minority rule. But in present-day South Africa, many have been asking questions about whether this love affair truly serves South Africa’s interests.<\/P>
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Experts say the country has more in common and a much bigger trade relationship with the West. Some are worried about a possible economic impact if ties with the US strain further.<\/P>
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The country’s currency, the rand, which has been struggling for weeks as a result of months of rolling power cuts, weakened even further following the US ambassador’s accusations.<\/P>
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It is an additional problem that South African citizens can scarcely afford.<\/P>
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Source: BBC<\/P>
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