ANC welcomes Lady R findings

5 September 2023

The African National Congress (ANC) welcomes the report of the independent panel, chaired by Judge Phineas Mojapelo, which was established to enquire into the circumstances of the docking of the Russian vessel, Lady R, in Simonstown. This followed allegations that South Africa had supplied weapons to Russia during the current Ukraine-Russia conflict. The ANC also welcomes the President's decision to release the executive summary of the report.

The panel found that there was no evidence to substantiate the claim that Lady R transported weapons from South Africa to Russia. The panel found no iota of evidence to support the outlandish claim that weapons were loaded onto Lady R. The panel established that the vessel delivered equipment that was ordered earlier for the South African National Defence Force by Armscor.

This unfounded allegation was opportunistically used by our detractors to cast aspersions on the ANC's principle of non-alignment and to damage existing diplomatic relations. The allegation negatively affected our economy and our standing as an international player.

The ANC notes with dismay that some of those who claimed to have direct knowledge and information failed to bring the necessary evidence. We pause here to mention that allegations of this nature have been made before without evidence and have been the reason behind the wars in other countries and regions of the world.

Having noted this, we call upon relevant authorities and progressives to ensure that where our people are presented with information that cannot be substantiated and lacks credibility, purveyors of such information must be held to account.

Issued by Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, National Spokesperson, ANC, 5 September 2023