International Relations and Co-operation Minister Naledi Pandor said her department would decide after “thorough consultation” on action “deemed necessary” against US ambassador Reuben Brigety after an investigation disproved his allegations that Russian ship Lady R loaded weapons at Simon’s Town.
This comes in the wake of an investigation conducted by a three-member team led by retired Gauteng deputy judge president Phineas Mojapelo into the circumstances surrounding the docking of the Lady R cargo vessel in Simon’s Town in December 2022.
The investigation found no evidence that weapons were loaded onto the ship.
Brigety’s allegation caused a stir within diplomatic circles amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
In a written reply to IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa, Pandor said Brigety was dèmarched by her department following the allegations he made.
“During the meeting between the Minister of International Relations and Co-operation and Ambassador Brigety, South Africa expressed deep disappointment and displeasure at the manner in which the allegations were made, especially since there are prescribed diplomatic protocols which should have been used to convey any grievance/concerns of the US government in relation to the Lady R vessel,” she said.
“In the wake of the release of the outcomes of the investigation panel into the Lady R, the department will, after thorough consultation, decide on a course of action in respect of the US ambassador, should this be deemed necessary, taking into account the overall impact on our bilateral relations with the US and the foreign policy interests of the country,” she said.
Pandor’s response came as the Presidency lashed out at the DA for mounting a court challenge over the appointment of Mojapelo to head the investigation that reported confidentially only to the executive.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has released a redacted report on the investigation.
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said on Wednesday that President Cyril Ramaphosa was confident that he acted within the law when he appointed Mojapelo to head the Lady R investigation.
“The president decided to appoint the independent panel after having carefully considered the delicate balance that is needed between the public’s right to information and the state’s need to secure information, the disclosure of which may jeopardise our national security and/or international relations.
“Hence, the president decided to appoint an independent panel rather than a commission of inquiry as provided for in terms of section 84(2)(f) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996.”
Magwenya also said the DA’s court action wanted to undermine the country’s national interests.
“The DA is failing to appreciate the damage this issue has caused (to) our economy and, potentially, to very important diplomatic relations, which are now repaired as a result of the level of credibility attached to the panel and its work, the outcome of the investigation and the intensive amount of diplomatic work that has been conducted to date and is still being managed,” he added.
Cape Times