Reuben Brigety, the US ambassador to South Africa, has apologised to Pretoria after accusing the nation of providing arms to Russia.
Naledi Pandor, the minister of international relations and cooperation, called Brigety to a meeting on Friday afternoon.
According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Brigety acknowledged that he overstepped the mark by bypassing established diplomatic channels to express his nation’s concerns.
Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said the government expressed its “displeasure” at the ambassador’s statements.
The US ambassador to South Africa’s actions, according to Dirco, “are perplexing and at odds with the friendly and mutually beneficial relationship that exists between the United States of America and South Africa,” Monyela said.
“South Africa is renowned across the world for having one of the strictest procedures in place for selling weaponry to other nations. The National Conventional Arms Control Committee, which was established by an Act of Parliament, the National Conventional Arms Control Act 41 of 2002, and the Constitution, is in charge of the procedure.”
Dirco also issued a statement applauding President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to establish a legal investigation into the claims.
