As diplomatic fallout between Pretoria and Washington over the conflict in Ukraine continues, Russia has come to SA’s defence, saying that weapons produced by SA are unsuitable for its armed forces.
Moscow’s comments, a week after the accusation by US ambassador to SA Reuben Brigety that the SA government is supplying arms to the Kremlin, could worsen tension between the US and SA.
Russia’s ambassador to SA, Ilya Igorevich Rogachev, said: “If ambassador Brigety takes this matter seriously then why doesn’t he explain why Russia would need SA-produced arms and ammunition matching neither the types nor the calibres of the systems currently in service with Russia’s armed forces and how such a minuscule amount of ‘arms and ammunition’ that was allegedly ‘uploaded onto the vessel’ would influence the situation on the battlefield anyway,”
“The words of the US official cannot be perceived otherwise than as an attempt to sway the independent sovereign state’s foreign policy,” Rogachev said in a statement on Tuesday.
Russia’s defence of SA comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa plans visits to Russia and Ukraine to meet his counterparts in the next two months as the Ukraine war continues to affect SA’s food security.
Ramaphosa will be joined by six African heads of state who will discuss the “cessation of hostilities for the sake of human lives”, said an ANC national working committee (NWC) member.
Ramaphosa on Tuesday said during the state visit by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong that the visit to Moscow and Kyiv would happen “as soon as possible”.
“We are hoping to have intensive discussions with the two heads of state, and they have said they are open to have these discussions with us,” said Ramaphosa.
“It’s very difficult to predict in the end what the real outcome will be and the full ramifications [for] Brics,” he said, referring to the economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA.
Ramaphosa told the NWC on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky had agreed to the visits during phone calls to them at the weekend.
In a televised address after the telephone conversation with Ramaphosa, Zelensky warned SA against “arming the aggressor. I spoke about the peace formula, about justice and that our world should be united by the rules of international law. Anyone who helps the aggressor with a weapon will be an accomplice with all the consequences,” said Zelensky.
“I called on Mr President [Ramaphosa] to join together with other countries, all continents and Africa to work to implement our peace formula.”
The planned visit to Russia and Ukraine comes against a backdrop of Pretoria taking flak for refusing to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, SA conducted a joint naval exercise with Russia and China along the east coast of SA in February.
The docking of a Russian cargo vessel in Simon’s Town naval base in December with unknown cargo sparked accusations by Brigety that SA is supplying arms to Russia.
After the incident, international relations & co-operation minister Naledi Pandor met Brigety, and then her department said that he had “apologised unreservedly”.
Brigety in turn said that he appreciated having the opportunity at the meeting to “correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks. In our conversation, I reaffirmed the strong partnership between our two countries.”
Finance minister Enoch Godongwana also weighed in on the docking of the Russian vessel.
During his speech on his department’s budget in the National Assembly, he said: “We are fully aware of the harmful effects of any US or EU sanctions.” Godongwana said that the government is working with the US authorities to avert any such measures against key institutions in SA.
Mishandling of the issue could affect SA in various ways, he said: through the currency, as has already happened; potential disruptions of trade and supply chains; and in investment and liquidity.
“At this stage we are assessing the quantitative sizeable impacts of these channels. We must be alive to the fact that uncertainty elevates the risk premium of SA, increasing the cost of borrowing and the cost of doing business.”
There could also be labour market consequences for the sectors facing major disruption, Godongwana said. “Handling this matter poorly will affect the livelihoods of many people who are employed in the relevant companies and sectors.”
The talks between Putin, Zelensky and the African heads of state comes as Moscow is preparing for its second summit with African countries, scheduled for the end of July in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
SA is set to host the Brics summit in August at which Putin’s attendance is uncertain after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest. As a signatory to the Rome Statute, SA would be compelled to detain the Russian leader.
With Linda Ensor
Update: May 16 2023
This story has been updated with additional information.
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