PRETORIA – US Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety has apologized to the South African government and its people for his accusations that the country sold weapons to Russia.
Brigety was summoned to a meeting with International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor on Friday afternoon.
In a statement released after the meeting, DIRCO said Brigety admitted that he had crossed the line by failing to follow set diplomatic channels to communicate his country’s concerns.
“The Ambassador apologized for the manner in which he communicated his concerns and undertook to follow the proper diplomatic channels in the future,” the statement said.
DIRCO added that South Africa is known for having one of the most stringent processes when selling arms to other countries.
“The Government of South Africa has a robust and transparent arms control regime in place, which is subject to regular review by Parliament,” the statement said.
On Saturday, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special envoys, led by Sydney Mufamadi, will brief the media on their recent tour to the US.
The envoys were tasked with meeting with US officials to discuss a range of issues, including the war in Ukraine and South Africa’s relationship with the US.
The apology from the US Ambassador is a welcome development, and it is hoped that it will help to repair the damage that was done to relations between the two countries.
It is important for both countries to maintain a strong relationship, and it is hoped that this apology will be a step in the right direction.
