The Deputy Chairperson of the International Relations Sub-Committee of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress(ANC), Obed Bapela, says party officials are yet to decide on meeting with US ambassador Reuben Brigety following his comments on the alleged sale of weapons to Russia.
Calls are mounting for removal of the US diplomat following his allegations that a Russian ship had been loaded with ammunition and weapons in Cape Town last year.
Brigety has since apologised.
Bapela explains: “I don’t have the details of the apology. But at the point when the ANC considers whether meet or not, we really want to find out why he said those things. Was he speaking out of turn? I don’t know. Or did he get excited on the platform? I don’t really know what happened.”
Meanwhile, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticised Brigety’s conduct and labelled it as distasteful.
President Ramaphosa made the comments during his address to the ANC’s biggest region, eThekwini.
