If the panel’s executive summary report into the Russian cargo ship saga is anything to go by, the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, should be packing his bag for home or be recalled.
The panel, led by Judge Phineas Mojapelo, found no evidence to back Brigety’s claims weapons and ammunition had been loaded onto Lady R, the Russian freighter that docked at the Simon’s Town naval base in December.
“Available evidence only confirmed the offloading and that there was nothing loaded. The details of the equipment offloaded and its intended use were made known to the Panel.
“In light of this classified information, the Panel accepted the reasons provided for the decision to offload the equipment at night. This as well as the nature and purpose of the equipment are aspects which may need to be considered when the President decides what may be published,” the panel said in its summary.
While we may not see the full report, for someone who was prepared to “bet his life” that South Africa sent weapons to Russia, Brigety’s silence on this matter is deafening.
It leaves many unanswered questions, especially his intentions to drag South Africa’s name through the mud on the eve of the BRICS summit. That his intention was to expose South Africa as having chosen the Russian side on the war in Ukraine has never been disputed publicly.
If Brigety was not in denial about the damage his remarks caused, not only to the image of this country but to its currency and, by extension, the economy, he would be the first to publicly apologise to South Africans before leaving.
Brigety needs no reminder of the atrocious crimes his country committed against other nations, under the guise of having “evidence”, which turned out to be false years after the damage had been done.
Fortunately for us, the situation was far from that. But it has cost the country hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of rand that could have been used for other pressing matters.
The ambassador must account for his remarks or at least challenge the panel’s finding if he still holds his belief.
For now, he will be remembered as the top US diplomat who peddled lies in front of the whole world.
Cape Times