CAPE TOWN – Defence minister Thandi Modise is standing by her position that no arms were loaded on a Russian cargo vessel – the Lady R – when it docked at the Simon’s Town Naval base in December.
Modise has finally submitted answers to three written parliamentary questions on the matter – two weeks after the findings of an independent probe were already submitted to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
But she’s evaded a question on why the vessel didn’t dock in one of the country’s commercial harbours instead.
Modise is one of several ministers cited by Parliament last week – for not meeting a 10-day deadline to respond to members of Parliament’s questions in the last parliamentary quarter.
Delivering responses on Monday to three questions from the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Democratic Allaince (DA) on the Lady R matter – Modise said the independent investigation would establish all the facts.
But the findings of that probe still remain under wraps.
The Presidency previously said consideration would be given to making some aspects of the report public.
In her response to the IFP, Modise reiterated that equipment ordered by the South African National Defence Force prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was offloaded from the vessel.
She’s meanwhile confirmed in a response to a question from the DA that her department and its entities made submissions to the panel probing the matter.
Modise further stuck by her public statements that no arms were loaded onto the Russian vessel.
