Speaker abuses Parliament to cover-up allegations that SA gave arms to Russia
19 May 2023
Acting Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Tsenoli, has denied my request for an urgent debate of national importance on US allegations that South Africa provided war materials to Russia.
His rationale is that the allegations although serious, remain speculative.
But even though the allegations “may yet prove unfounded”, they have already done profound damage to South Africa’s global reputation, and to investor confidence as shown in the sudden drop in the value of the rand when the allegations were published last Thursday.
If these allegations are false, then President Ramaphosa and his government should deny them emphatically giving evidence to back up their denial. Instead, five months later Defence Minister Thandi Modise has still not produced “the paperwork” to show what was loaded on the ship.