From ships to chats with Putin: 5 other Russia-SA moves that have had tongues wagging

Russia and South Africa's diplomatic ties have come under the spotlight this week amid allegations a Russian cargo ship which docked at Simon's Town naval base left South Africa loaded with weapons.

It is the latest in a series of events involving the two countries over the past months that have raised eyebrows.

The controversial docking of the Lady R  in December raised questions in many quarters, but only silence from government on what it was doing while in South African waters.

US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety this week said Washington had established the vessel was loaded with weapons while docked at the base. He added this was among the “concerns” raised by American senior officials with a high-level South African delegation that recently visited the US.

The claims sparked outrage and calls for answers from around the world. It follows similar calls over other incidents since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Abstaining from votes against Russia at the UN

A month after Russia's invasion, South Africa made global headlines when it was among a few countries which abstained from a UN General Assembly vote to reprimand Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and demand Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces.

A month later, South Africa again abstained from a UN General Assembly vote to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. 

“Unfortunately, the resolution we are considering will further divide and polarise the matter and the General Assembly, without following due process,” ambassador Xolisa Mabhongo said at the time.

“South Africa maintains that in considering the suspension of a member of the Human Rights Council we must be consistent and not selective as this would undermine the credibility  of the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. For these reasons, South Africa will abstain on the resolution,” Mabhongo said.

A phone call with Putin

In March 2022, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and said he had pushed for “mediation”.

“Thanking ... Putin for taking my call so I could gain an understanding of the situation unfolding between Russia and Ukraine,” Ramaphosa said at the time.

“I outlined our position on the conflict as well as our belief that [it] should be resolved through mediation and negotiation between the parties and — if need be — with the help of agencies that can help bring a solution.”

He said Putin “appreciated our balanced approach” and, with South Africa part of Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), said the country had been asked to mediate.

“We believe this position enables both parties to subject the conflict to mediation and negotiation. Based on our relations with the Russian Federation and as a member of Brics, South Africa has been approached to play a mediation role,” he said.

A military drill with Russia and China

At the start of the year, South Africa was criticised for hosting joint military drills with Russia and China.

The exercise was described by the defence ministry as “an opportunity to contribute towards strengthening the strong bonds between South Africa, Russia and China”.

“South Africa, like any independent and sovereign state, has a right to conduct its foreign relations in line with its own diplomatic relations and national interests.”

International relations and co-operation minister Naledi Pandor defended the drills, saying hosting exercises with “friends” was the “natural course of relations”.

Russian foreign minister's visit to SA and summit plans

As the Russian-Ukranian war waged on, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov met South African officials. A source, who declined to be named because they were not authorised to speak, said Lavrov planned to also visit Eswatini, Botswana and Angola.

Some opposition parties and South Africa's small Ukrainian community said hosting Lavrov was insensitive.

In April, Lavrov claimed the US was trying to wreck Russia's planned summit with African countries as part of efforts to isolate Moscow.

Lavrov told the news site Argumenty I Fakty Russia would “never tell our foreign partners how they are supposed to live. We have no secret agenda”.

A visit to America and a decision on whether to arrest Putin

Ramaphosa sent a delegation to Washington last month to ease tensions amid these incidents and avoid a diplomatic fallout that could put trade ties worth R400bn at risk.

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) warrant of arrest for Putin on war crime charges was also said to be on the agenda.

ANC NEC member and deputy minister of public enterprises Obed Bapela confirmed government had sought, among other interventions, international legal experts to advise it about the warrant of arrest before Putin's possible visit to later this year for a Brics summit.

The predicament led to a debate over whether to withdraw from the court. 

Ramaphosa said the ANC had taken a decision that South Africa should pull out of the ICC. The ANC later noted a resolution the party made in December to rescind an earlier plan to pull out of the ICC.

Not just a ship, but also a plane

Earlier this month, Business Day reported a military aircraft owned by a Russian company under sanctions had quietly flown into the Waterkloof Air Force Base.

The Ilyushin IL-76 heavy-lift cargo aircraft left Chkalovsky Air Base in Russia on April 21. The base is allegedly a home to entities that service the Wagner private military's logistics needs.

The DA said it would write to defence minister Thandi Modise for a detailed explanation as to the aeroplane's landing “and whether it is normal practice for goods to be brought in via the air force base for any foreign missions”.

“This landing follows the ANC government’s continued refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at world forums. This cosy friendship has seen a joint naval exercise off the KwaZulu-Natal coast in February and in December, a Russian cargo vessel is alleged to have docked in Simon’s Town naval base carrying unknown cargo.”

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