SHIPS IN THE NIGHT
Sanctioned Russian ship moves mystery cargo in Simon’s Town navy dockyard under cover of night
A Russian cargo ship sanctioned by the US for carrying arms secretly loaded and unloaded unknown cargo in Simon’s Town naval dockyard in a high-security, clandestine operation on the night of Wednesday/Thursday this week. The DA is now demanding an explanation from Defence Minister Thandi Modise.
- Thursday night 10pm update: Various eye witnesses contacted Daily Maverick on Thursday night with accounts and photographs showing that container trucks had once again entered the Simonstown navy dockyard during load shedding from 8pm and that there was a flurry of activity around the ship. They were busy loading and off-loading at the time of publication.
- Thursday night 11.30pm update: Trucks and cranes were still processing cargo on and around the ship.
- Friday 6am update: Navy tugboats arrived and guided Lady R from the harbour. By 8am, Lady R was heading past Cape Point. Lady R did not show up on the Marine Traffic App, an indication that the ship’s AIS is mostly likely not switched on.
The secrecy of the Wednesday/Thursday midnight operation, under the extra cover of rolling blackouts, has raised suspicions about the nature of the cargo.
And the unknown persons involved in the transactions with the Lady R, a Russia-registered roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel, may now have fallen foul of the US sanctions themselves.
Several Simon’s Town residents observed and photographed cranes loading at least six containers from trucks onto the Lady R at the naval dockyard quayside from just before midnight on Thursday, 8 December 2022.
Some said they had also seen cranes offloading pallets and crates of cargo from the Lady R onto trucks on the quay.
And two trucks containing four more containers were seen standing at the nearby Glencairn naval sports ground on Thursday, prompting speculation that they would be loaded onto the Lady R that night. (This has now been confirmed and the trucks were returning at the time of publication)
Container trucks and a crane at the naval sports field in Glencairn.
“Clearly something is going on,” DA defence spokesperson Kobus Marais told Daily Maverick.
He added that he had written to Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Thandi Modise, saying she “must explain to South Africans what a sanctioned Russian ship is doing at the Simon’s Town naval base and why there is so much secrecy surrounding it”.
Daily Maverick also asked the SANDF and the navy to explain the presence of the Lady R, but received no reply.
This photo was shared with Daily Maverick and taken on Thursday night as the full moon was rising over the navy dockyard. We will credit the photographer as soon as s/he make contact.
In US crosshairs
David S Feldmann, spokesperson for the US embassy in Pretoria, told Daily Maverick that since 8 May this year, the Lady R and its parent company had been subject to US economic sanctions.
“We had previously advised the South African government that the Lady R was planning to stop in South Africa,” he said.
“We had indicated the vessel was sanctioned under US law because the ship is part of Russia’s military export-import business and had cautioned that entities supporting the vessel could run afoul of US sanctions,” he added.
“Very ‘interesting’ how the Russians took over the entire SAN base last night,” one Simon’s Town resident said.
“Private vehicles, forklift truck and crane, all just waved through at security. Unloading many pallets from the ship – three or more armed security personnel in attendance and containers arriving after midnight and loaded. This all besides it supposedly being a privately owned vessel, so where was customs? Insanity prevails.”
The Russian ship being brought in by two of the navy tugs. Photo:Hugo Attfield
This resident said the convoy of vehicles involved in the cargo loading and unloading had their headlights turned off and the escorts appeared to be armed. A resident who photographed one of the trucks entering the dockyard was pursued by an escort vehicle through the back streets of Simon’s Town, terrified.
Marais initially thought the Lady R might have entered Simon’s Town in distress this week as maritime monitoring websites had indicated it had sailed eastwards past Simon’s Town en route from Douala, Cameroon, to Dar es Salaam, and was already south of Cape Agulhas on 5 December. This suggested it might have turned back to Simon’s Town after running into trouble.
But Marais told Daily Maverick on Thursday, after hearing the many accounts of the mysterious loading and unloading of cargo in the middle of the night, that it now seemed the Lady R had entered Simon’s Town for a different purpose.
“The vessel allegedly switched off its automatic identification systems, the transponders that provide position, identification and other information about a ship to other ships and to coastal authorities,” he said.
“The vessel should have docked at Table Bay harbour just like other commercial vessels. Instead, it was allowed to dock at Simon’s Town Naval Base, which, because it is the largest base in the country, is a national key point.”
Lady R is guided by tugboats out of Simon’s Town harbour. Photo supplied.
Lady R is guided by tugboats out of Simon’s Town harbour. Photo supplied.
Read in Daily Maverick: “Docking in the dark — Sanctioned Russian ship drops anchor at Simon’s Town Naval Base”
Marais noted that it was very unusual for cargo to be loaded and unloaded at night.
Russian Ro-Ro cargo ship, ‘Lady R’ docked inside Simon’s Town Naval Base.
“Given the ANC government’s history with Russia, the minister needs to come clean and explain what is going on and why this commercial vessel – which is sanctioned by the US and European Union – was allowed to dock at Simon’s Town.
“What is the minister hiding and why is it shrouded in secrecy? The minister and the chief of the SANDF have a responsibility to tell South Africans what is going on.”
Arms for Russia?
Speculation has inevitably centred on the question of whether the Lady R was loading South African arms for Russia, perhaps to use in its war against Ukraine.
This suspicion has been reinforced by Modise’s recent refusal to say, in reply to a parliamentary question from DA leader John Steenhuisen, whether or not South Africa is selling arms to Russia.
Any private or public company intending to export arms to a foreign country has to get the approval of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), a senior government body which comprises Cabinet ministers and top officials.
But Ezra Jele, head of the NCACC Secretariat, told Daily Maverick that no one had applied to the NCACC for authorisation to sell arms to Russia, and so none had been approved.
“However, whoever is making such claims must have irrefutable proof of this, in order for the mischief to be properly located under the act,” he added.
A former naval officer who studied photographs of the cargo operations said they did not suggest that the Lady R was taking on equipment for repairs. He also found it suspicious that the ship was being loaded and unloaded at night.
He noted that the Lady R was still in Simon’s Town on Thursday, 8 December, “so no reason to work at night. Something is going on.”
Military analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman is also mystified by the operation, but he does not believe South Africa makes any weapons that Russia “could use to any real purpose. Pretty much anything we make, they make.
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“PMP could supply some ammunition for AK-47s, which I think some of their called-up troops still use.
“Hensoldt and Saab have good EW (early warning) systems and RDM could supply propellants and explosives, but I do not see those companies risking the wrath of the governments in Germany and Sweden.
“The SANDF does not have any compatible stuff in service or even in storage, other than the twin 23mm cannon, of which the Russians have more than enough.
“Conceivably they could be after secure comms (communications) equipment from Reutech but that would need to be manufactured, so not available at short notice.
“More likely might be some dual-use stuff from commercial companies, perhaps using an SA company as a decoy, but I cannot think of anything that would be too big to fly out (e.g. chips). We do not manufacture much that would be compatible with their systems and weapons.”
Read in Daily Maverick: “SA abstains from UN General Assembly resolution demanding Russia pay reparations to Ukraine for war damage”
Heitman also notes that South Africa does not manufacture the sort of long-range missiles that Russia has been raining on Ukrainian cities, especially their electrical and water infrastructure, over the past few months.
As a result, these stocks are believed to be running low and so Russia is presumably looking for replenishments.
Others suggest the most likely possibility would be UAVS – drones – which are playing an increasingly important role in the war in Ukraine.
Russia has been relying more and more on Iranian drones, perhaps because of diminishing missile reserves. And over the last week, Ukraine has thrice retaliated by hitting military targets deep inside Russia with adapted Soviet-era drones.
But a former SANDF officer was sceptical about this theory, suggesting Russia had a limitless supply of drones from Iran. DM
This is a developing story.
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I can’t wait for the stink of denial and backpedalling and probably counter-accusation to come from this. Hats off to the vigilant Simonstown residents for calling this out!
Ditto that Graeme. Active citizenship at it’s best.
This government has gone beyond any measure of acceptability. We live in darkness but there they are clandestinely focusing on supporting a butcher. Our deputy president clearly has friendly relationships in Russia and has yet to give a shred of a credible explanation about this. Our previous rogue president had more than a friendly relationship with the butcher and tried to sneak a way for Russia to annex SA financially. It’s time for this ANC to go.
If we’re sending arms to Russia that’s very bad news….if Russia is sending us Diesel for Eskom then not so much!
If Russia are sending us Diesel then we are sending Russia money to fund their war against Ukraine. Either way it’s not OK. The solution to the Eskom woes is solar panels and batteries, not Diesel.
Reminds of another “military” operation at Waterkloof Air Force Base under ANC “supervision”
This looks like standard military traffic being handled. It was frequently done during the Border War period. The cargo is clearly sensitive and there is no reason the State should disclose the details. The SA Navy could have done a better job of obscuring the activity!
So we are at war again? Against who? Ukraine? Believe me, the US will impose sanctions on us over this debacle and then you and others who evidently see nothing wrong, will complain when our economy goes further down the toilet?
How short sighted
I’m sure the CIA know exactly what went where.
Maybe. But then, as citizens of this country, why not us too?
It is clear, we have a rogue government!
Simonstown residents are so brave.
Well done to them.
I thought I had outrage fatigue but this is beyond the pale.
The sooner the anc lose power, the better
There are times when I am not only ashamed of my beloved country. But also hugely embarrassed! This article give me a panic attack fearing for our people.
We can no longer stomach this – we are no longer prepared to accept mealie-mouthed excuses from Ramaphosa or any other of the Russian puppets in the ANC. Just get out , get out , get out – we don’t want or need you and your butcher supporting rubbish anymore. Feel the anger Mr Ramaphosa – it is visceral – what don’t you understand about what Putin and his ilk did in Syria ? In Bucha ? In Mariupol ? Please explain to Ukrainian civilians being savaged by barbaric acts such as cluster munitions rained on civilian targets why it is that South Africa does not just play neutral but actively supports the parties responsible for ongoing and uncountable violations of human rights in Ukraine. The NATO excuse is utter nonsense – Russia itself once toyed with the idea of becoming part of NATO but didn’t want to lose face by standing in the queue. Face up to the reality that your Minister of Defence is living in a very distant past and – at best – has zero clue what she is doing. Face up to the reality also that Ukraine can keep its lights on despite continued attacks on its power infrastructure whilst all your useless government has to offer is Stage 6 load-shedding. Go and beg President Zelensky for some electrical engineers who know what they are doing. You know I thought you were a good guy at heart but you have utterly lost the plot over Ukraine. If not kindly show some stomach by demanding an immediate end to this completely unwarranted invasion of a sovereign nation .
Spot on Neil!
The Lady R departed Simons Town naval base at 6.55am this morning
It will be interesting to see where this ship goes to.
Hopefully to the bottom of the sea!
I would like Ukraine to know that most South Africans stand with them and do not support our government’s stance on the Russian war with Ukraine.
Cyril Rhamaposa – where are you in doing what is right for once in your life and trying to redeem yourself in standing up for what is humane and just ? You and your government are an embarrassment to the people of South Africa. I have to wonder if you are not also involved in taking stolen cash in 50 kg bags in numerous private planes trips out of this country to Russia like Zuma did and also protecting your stolen cash funds invested in Russia and that is why you in bed with the enemy over this war. Is that Perhaps where the US dollars from buffalo sales have been hidden over the years ??
PLEASE try and lead with a little moral integrity that might be left in you.
Many South Africans? Tell us how you got to those figures.
Open your eyes and ears – read newspapers and listen to radio and TV that may provide and answer!
This stinks to high heaven. And in typical ANC style, there is first complete, seething, hateful silence, which will be followed by loud denials of wrongdoing, and when the truth comes out, a Stalingrad process rolled out to protect the sleazy comrades involved for years to come.
Simple explanation: a life-long supply of medicine for David Mabuza.
You beat me to it! Just what I thought.
But the report about a civilian being chased by an ‘escort vehicle’ among the back streets of Simonstown is sinister. Was the vehicle marked in any identifiable way? SAPS? Military police? Who are these people if they feel they can threaten civilians in this way?!
Breathe mense, breathe, our alignment to the ruskies is well known. If this was supposed to be secret don’t you think there are better ways of getting stuff in and out of the country on the sly? Like mid-ocean transfers. Or using commercial ports. Or other countries harbors. Or saying its AAA batteries being imported to support Eskom.
I think we can be confident that the US knows what this was and allowed it in(and out).
Either that or they are so stupid and venal, they think they can just lie their way out of the situation – hence no need for secrecy. I mean the Prez thinks he can fib his way out of Phala Phala. Why worry about a quick Ruskie cargo loading session…
Very plausible suggestion but for two prickly problems: 1. Does our “Navy” know how to perform mid-ocean transfers?
2. Can they find a ship at sea when its AIS switched off?
It seems to me the SA Navy is as at sea with a moral compass as with a magnetic compass.
Oh dear, Mister President, explain this one away – but take care not to step in the phala phala there’s a lot of it about this time of the year. It stinks like crazy and is impossible to get off your shoes.
If these fu@&ers are giving arms to Russia then they deserve any sanctions placed on them hopefully in their personal capacities.
Was it loading or offloading?
If offloading, what, and for whom?
Offload: Crates of cash in USD to use as bribes at the ANC Elective Conference.
Load: Ammunition for the Russians to use against Ukrainian civilians.
Fair guess?
Russia has the ANC (and thus South Africa) over a barrel as it continues to support that corrupt organisation financial. This is just another quid pro quo situation.
Does anyone really believe that the moral compass demonstrated by the ANC and its ‘business’ associates excludes activities like arms dealing, rhino horn smuggling, illegal cigarettes, gold smuggling or even narcotics? For that matter, dealing with pariah states riddled with their own corruption, governance malfeasance and societal oppression and manipulation may well be their bread and butter.
There are so many levels on which our government is dishonest, despicable, disgusting and out of touch with decency, that I despair. Russia and China as cosy-up friends is beyond scary.
Can things get any worse
Praise and appreciation to the observant residents of Simon’s Town. After all, such reports are still possible without danger for those affected, unlike in Russia. Thanks to DM I hear about it here in Germany.
Probably good news for Ukrainians if the Russians have resorted to using Denel-made weaponry.
Probably Putin’s furniture if reports of him doing a run from Russia are correct!!
Bonnhoefers Theory states that the most dangerous thing in the world is stupidity. If, this vessel is intercepted at sea, and if it is found to be carrying SA arms related cargo destined for Russia. Then the consequences for us in South Africa can be quite severe. Ask the citizens in Cuba, North Korea and Iran what life is like under sanctions imposed by the rest of the world.