Question NW3581 to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
17 November 2023 - NW3581
Hlengwa, Mr M to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
In light of the outcomes of the Report of the Investigative Panel into Lady R which exonerated the government and found that no equipment and/or arms were loaded onto the vessel, and noting that the debacle caused a diplomatic rift between South Africa and the United States of America (USA), and also impacted the Rand negatively following utterances by the USA Ambassador Reuben Brigety, what further consequence management steps is her department looking at insofar as the USA Ambassador is concerned?
Reply:
Following allegations made by US Ambassador Reuben Brigety, he was dèmarched by DIRCO and had a meeting with Minister Pandor who expressed deep disappointment and displeasure at the way serious allegations were made in the “wildest and most inappropriate manner” at a media conference. There are prescribed diplomatic protocols which should have been used to convey any grievance/concerns through appropriate diplomatic channels. This message has been clearly conveyed to the US Embassy.
Since the release of the report, DIRCO and the US Government have agreed to continue with work to strengthen the our bilateral relations. This includes cooperating in areas in the multilateral environment where we have common positions.
Our strategic partnership with the US has faced some strain, but like all relationships, we disagree on some issues, but our common objective should be to work towards the upliftment of our people. So, despite our differences, the US remains an important partner for SA, and we appreciate the investments by more than 600 US companies in SA, which are significant and contribute towards employment, skills transfer and improving the standards of living of millions of South Africans. At this point no further action is envisaged with respect to this issue.