If there was indeed nothing – or "f l", as Defence Minister Thandi Modise put it - loaded onto the Lady R, why is the cargo manifest being kept secret, the DA has asked.
US envoy slammed after international relations blunder leaves SA embarrassed iol.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from iol.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
As the international community grows increasingly concerned about South Africa’s dalliance with Moscow, the United States of America have now issued a stern diplomatic warning shot to the Executive to come clean and change course. More than five months have passed without confirmation from the President or his Defense Minister as to exactly what transpired
On the 8th of December last year, I wrote a letter to the Minister of Defence, Thandi Modise, requesting urgent answers around the unwelcome visit of the Russian cargo ship, the Lady-R, to our shores. I wanted to know why there was so much secrecy around this ship and what the reason for its visit was. The Minister was as silent as the grave and never responded to my letter. I subsequently submitted a number of Parliamentary questions to attain clarity on the matter but have received no response to these either.