In his address to the nation, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that according to the results of the investigation, there is no evidence that weapons were transported to the Russian Federation on the Russian ship Lady R. Reportedly docked in South Africa DEA News.
“During the investigation, the commission found no evidence of any weapons cargo being loaded onto Lady R for export; there is no evidence to support the claim that the ship was carrying weapons from South Africa to Russia,” the president said.
According to him, during the investigation, the commission visited the South African Navy’s Simonstown base and took statements from nearly 50 people. The South African leader said that more than 100 different documents were also examined during the commission’s work.
He also noted that accusations against the Republic of South Africa regarding the supply of arms to the Russian Federation have had a devastating effect on South Africa’s currency, economy and position in the world.
In May, US Ambassador to South Africa Ruben Brighetti said that a Russian ship docked at the Simonstown naval base in Cape Town, where weapons and ammunition were allegedly loaded in early December 2022, after which the ship sailed for the Russian Federation.
South African President Cyril Ramaposa appointed An independent expert commission to investigate the situation around Lady R under US sanctions.
In June, Thandi Modise, South Africa’s Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs, said in the national parliament that the Russian ship Lady R did not receive any weapons aboard the naval base last December, but handed it over to the Southern Republic. Africa, a batch ordered in 2018 for the South African Armed Forces.
previously in the USA accused China is supplying arms to Russia.