Diplomats use diplomatic idioms, they are worried or even very worried, rarely emotional. So it was rather unusual that Reuben Brigety, the US Ambassador to South Africa, “bet his life” on Thursday. He had called a press conference for South African media to inform them that South Africa had supplied the Russian army with weapons that could now also be used in the war of aggression against Ukraine.
“The armament of the Russians is extremely questionable,” said the ambassador. When asked if he could provide any evidence that he was really sure, Brigety replied, “We are certain that guns were loaded on the ship and I would bet my life that that claim was correct.”
Duty-free export to the United States is existential
If he is right, it could have drastic consequences for South Africa: The ship in question is the Russian one Lady R, which stopped in Cape Town in December; She is suspected by the USA of transporting weapons for the war of aggression against Ukraine – which is why she is under sanctions. And anyone who breaks these sanctions must face the consequences, as the United States has repeatedly threatened.
In the case of South Africa, trade agreements are at stake, as well as the existence of the South African automobile industry, which exports largely duty-free to the USA. The rand, South Africa’s national currency, was already plummeting before the allegations but hit a historic low on Thursday. South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa reacted cluelessly in parliament: “I know that the matter is being investigated.” He later announced the establishment of a commission, as if he himself had no idea what the Russian ship could have lost in South Africa. The arrival of the Lady R made no big secret in December.
The ANC shows a lot of sympathy for Russia – because it receives money from there, say critics of the ruling party in South Africa: Vladimir Putin and Cyril Ramaphosa in Sochi in 2019.
(Photo: Sergey Chirikov/AP)
The South African Navy port is right next to one of the country’s top tourist attractions, Simon’s Town Beach and its colony of African penguins – which also regularly swim into restricted military areas. Which hasn’t been a big deal so far because the Navy is largely unmaneuverable after years of corruption and mismanagement. At the end of December, however, something suddenly moved in the naval port, which is clearly visible from the surrounding towns. The Lady R had docked, residents watched as trucks approached the base at night. South African media reported the opposition was outraged while the US expressed concern.
The ANC never misses an opportunity to show its contempt for Europe and the US
Defense Minister Thandi Modise said she knew nothing: “I’m waiting for the paperwork; I’m waiting for the people who know,” she said. Modise later claimed that the ship had brought a shipment of weapons from Russia that had been ordered before the war. The USA remained skeptical and threatened consequences. After all, it wasn’t just about the ship: South Africa had claimed from the beginning of the war that it did not want to take sides.
But the ruling ANC never misses an opportunity to show its contempt for Europe and the United States. In December, the ruling party passed a document accusing the US of “provoking” the war against Ukraine. A little later, warships of the Russian Navy came to a maneuver, exactly on the anniversary of the attack on Ukraine, they wore the “Z”, the symbol of victory.
On the anniversary of the attack on Ukraine, Russian warships came to maneuver: the frigate “Admiral Gorshkov” in Richards Bay in February.
(Photo: GUILLEM SARTORIO/AFP)
Anger grew in the US Senate, with some senators debating whether South Africa should remain part of the Agoa trade deal, which gives many African countries duty-free access to the US market. In South Africa, tens of thousands of jobs in the auto industry depend on it. President Ramaphosa also seemed to be getting nervous, which is why he sent a delegation to Washington last week to smooth things over, and US Ambassador Brigety was also there. And apparently not satisfied with what he had heard from the South African side, he now allowed the conflict to escalate.
An oligarch who is a major donor to the ANC, both involved in a manganese mine
The ANC’s great sympathy for Russia is commonly explained with old ties, because Moscow once supported the fight against apartheid. For the opposition, it’s much more mundane: “The ANC is siding with Russia for one reason: because the Russian Federation is funding the ANC and thereby undermining and destabilizing South African democracy,” said John Steenhuisen, head of the Democratic Alliance.
The ANC has had major problems in recent years paying headquarters staff, who have often gone months without a salary. In the meantime, the party seems to be liquid again: also thanks to a few large donations from the Russian oligarch Wiktor Wekselberg, together with the ANC, he is also indirectly involved in a manganese mine that brings in splendid profits.