Cape Town – Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor has confirmed that no further action will be taken against the US ambassador, Reuben Brigety, for his allegations that South Africa supplied arms to Russia.
Pandor called Brigety to her office in March after he made the allegations public.
She expressed disappointment and outrage at Brigety’s actions and condemned them as “distasteful“.
However, after Brigety apologised and no evidence was presented to support his claims, no further steps will be taken regarding his removal, Pandor said, according to IOL.
“Following the meeting between minister Pandor and US ambassador Brigety and the telecon with Secretary of State Blinken, as well as the subsequent meeting between the ANC and Brigety, wherein the latter reiterated his apology, it is not contemplated that any further steps will be taken with regard to his removal,” the report quoted Pandor as saying.
Pandor said this while responding to a written parliamentary question from the EFF.
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President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Judge Phineas Mojapelo to lead an inquiry into the matter, which will conclude within six weeks.
The allegations had strained relations between South Africa and the US.
Brigety had accused South Africa of having covertly provided arms to Russia, a charge that drew an angry rebuke from Pretoria.
He said that the US believed weapons and ammunition had been laden onto a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base in December.
“We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel and I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion,” Brigety said, according to a video of the remarks.
“The arming of Russia by South Africa… is fundamentally unacceptable.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
