Arms-to-Russia row raises doubt about South Africa’s compliance with arms control. It could face tougher scrutiny in future

The Russian Volunteer Corps insignia on the sleeve of a soldier near the border in northern Ukraine in early 2023. Getty Images

The recent furore over accusations by the US ambassador to South Africa, Reuben Brigety, that South Africa was supplying arms to Russia despite its declared policy of non-alignment, has sparked a debate on whether the country’s arms control is lax, non-compliant and lacks oversight.

The debate was further fuelled by the South African government’s reluctance to provide clear answers to questions about what Russia’s Lady R cargo ship came to deliver – or to pick up – from South Africa in December 2022.