Last Update: May 16, 2023, 01:00 AM IST
FILE PHOTO: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa answers questions in parliament on cash kept at his private farm and frequent power cuts in Cape Town, South Africa September 29, 2022. (Image: Reuters)
The South African National Defense Force (SANDF) “confirms that the Chief of Staff of the SA Army, Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha is in Moscow
The commander of South Africa’s ground forces is in Moscow for talks, the country’s military said on Monday, confirming Russian media reports, days after Washington accused Pretoria of secretly providing arms to Russia.
The South African National Defense Force (SANDF) “confirms that the Chief of Staff of the SA Army, Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha is in Moscow … for a bilateral between the two military establishments”.
The meeting was “already planned” as part of a “long-standing arrangement”, the SANDF said in a statement, adding that it was a “goodwill visit” at the invitation of the Russian military.
Citing the country’s defense ministry, Russian news agencies said earlier on Monday that Mbatha was leading a delegation that discussed “issues related to military cooperation and dialogue”.
Last Thursday, the US ambassador to Pretoria Ruben Brigitte said the United States believed weapons and ammunition were loaded onto a Russian freighter docked at the Cape Town naval base in December.
The explosive comment drew an angry reaction from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who did not deny the allegation but said an investigation would be launched into the matter.
The US welcomed promises to investigate the allegations.
South Africa has refused to condemn the conflict in Ukraine, which has largely isolated Moscow on the international stage.
The country – an African powerhouse that also used moral clout to push for its victory over apartheid – says it wants to remain neutral.
But critics cite a number of recent events as evidence of a pro-Kremlin tilt.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Ramaphosa on the phone on Friday following the scandal.
The two leaders agreed to “intensify mutually beneficial ties”, according to the Kremlin.
Ramaphosa said on Monday the country would not be drawn “into a contest between global powers” over Ukraine, despite facing “extraordinary pressure” to take sides.
“We do not accept that our non-aligned position favors Russia over other countries. Nor do we accept that this should jeopardize our relations with other countries,” Ramaphosa said in a weekly presidential newsletter.
Pretoria supported a peaceful resolution to the conflict, he said.
The agencies said that on Monday, Mbatha “visited educational institutions of the ground forces and enterprises of Russia’s military-industrial complex”.
“Agreements were reached to further enhance cooperation between the ground forces in various fields,” Russian agency Interfax said.
The SANDF confirmed that the trip would include visits to Russian military academies.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)
