The United States ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety has apologised to Mzansi for his claims that South Africa sold weapons to Russia. Brigety made the claims on Thursday where he said that a Russian vessel was loaded with ammunition and weapons in Cape Town in December last year. South Africa promptly denied the allegations, and President Cyril Ramaphosa immediately initiated an inquiry into the matter. 

CORDIAL RELATIONSHIP 

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) has demarched Brigety and expressed the South African government’s utter displeasure with his conduct and the statements he made on Thursday. "Dirco finds this behaviour by the US ambassador to South Africa puzzling and at odds with the mutually beneficial and cordial relationship that exists between the United States of America and South Africa. Following Friday’s meeting, ambassador Brigety admitted that he crossed the line and apologised unreservedly to the Government and the people of South Africa. "South Africa is known globally for having one of the most stringent processes when selling arms to other countries. The process is managed by the National Convention Arms Control Committee (NCACC), which was created through an Act of Parliament, the National Conventional Arms Control Act 41 of 2002 (NCAC Act), and the Constitution," Dirco said in a statement. 

INQUIRY INTO THE ALLEGATIONS

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Friday that he will appoint an independent inquiry to be chaired by a retired judge to investigate the allegations made by the US ambassador to South Africa. "This process will allow for facts to be established and for role players to be identified. Anyone found to have broken the law will face severe consequences. South Africa calls on the US Embassy in Pretoria, to use established diplomatic channels of communication to convey any concerns or to seek clarity on any misunderstandings that may arise in the bilateral relationship," said Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela.