South African president appoints judge to oversee weapons-for-Russia inquiry

By GERALD IMRAY
Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed a judge to oversee an inquiry into allegations that the country supplied arms to Russia on a ship that docked secretly at a naval base in December. The allegations were made this month by the United States’ ambassador to South Africa, who said he was sure that weapons and ammunition were loaded onto the Russian-flagged cargo ship when it docked at the Simon’s Town naval base near Cape Town. Ramaphosa’s office said Sunday that a former Supreme Court of Appeal judge would be the chairman of a three-member independent panel to investigate the incident.