Ramaphosa needs to urgently come clean on allegations of supplying weapons to Russia
11 May 2023
ActionSA calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently take the nation into his confidence over the allegations that the South African government supplied weapons to Russia amid its ongoing war against Ukraine.
The allegations by US Ambassador, Reuben Brigety, that South Africa supplied weapons to Russia in December 2022 adds credence to ActionSA’s belief that Ramaphosa’s government never had a non-aligned approach to the Ukraine-Russian war and, in fact, actively supports President Putin’s unjust war.
I will also be writing to the US Ambassador to request that they share any information regarding this allegation with the South African people. Should the allegation prove to be true, this will assist the South African people to hold Ramaphosa’s government to account.
The allegations undermine South Africa’s attempts to maintain its African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) agreement with the US which, if cancelled, may lead to thousands of job losses. South Africa currently has a trade surplus of $6.5 billion with the US – our largest trading partner – compared to a trade deficit of $210 million with Russia.