The South African government was under more pressure Wednesday for declining to release cargo documents relating to the visit by a Russian ship that the United States alleges collected a consignment of weapons for Moscow.
Separately, a top official in South Africa's ruling party added to the scrutiny of the country's relationship with Russia by saying the party would "welcome" a visit by President Vladimir Putin, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.
The comments by African National Congress Secretary General Fikile Mbalula regarding Putin were made in an interview with the BBC and in the context of the Russian leader attending a summit of the BRICS economic bloc in South Africa in August. The bloc is made up of Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa.
"If it was according to the ANC, we would want President Putin to be here, even tomorrow, to come to our country," Mbalula said in the interview, excerpts of which were posted on the ANC's social media channels on Tuesday. "We will welcome him to come here as part and parcel of BRICS."
As a signatory to the International Criminal Court treaty, South Africa is obliged to arrest Putin if he enters the country. The South African government has indicated it will not carry out the arrest warrant if Putin does travel for the summit, although it hasn't said that explicitly.
"Do you think that a head of state can just be arrested anywhere?" Mbalula, a former cabinet minister who is now the ANC's top administrative official, said in the BBC interview.
He told the BBC interviewer there was hypocrisy on the part of the West related to the arrest warrant for Putin because, he said, Britain and other western nations committed crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and no heads of state were arrested.
Mbalula last month referred to the United States as one of the countries "messing up the world."
There has been increasing anti-U.S. and anti-West rhetoric in the ANC and sometimes in parts of South Africa's government since Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, despite South Africa maintaining it has a neutral stance on the war.
The trend is troubling for the U.S. and other western partners of South Africa because of its status as an influential democracy in the developing world, and Africa's most developed economy.
South Africa has a historical relationship with Russia connected to the old Soviet Union's military and political support for the ANC when it was a liberation movement fighting to end the racist apartheid regime that oppressed the country's Black majority. The West appears concerned that the ANC's old ideological ties to Russia are now pulling South Africa into Moscow's political orbit amid burgeoning global tensions. There are also growing economic ties between Africa, a continent of 1.3 billion people, and China.
The concerns were laid bare by the U.S. Ambassador to South Africa earlier this month when he accused it of providing weapons to Russia via a cargo ship that docked at a naval base near the city of Cape Town in December. Ambassador Reuben Brigety said "I would bet my life" that weapons were loaded onto the Russian-flagged Lady R, which is under U.S. sanctions for alleged ties to a company that has transported arms for the Russian government.
The South African government has denied it made any arms transaction with Russia, although it hasn't categorically ruled out the possibility that another entity did so secretly. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an inquiry.
On Wednesday, South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, challenged the government to come clean if it had nothing to hide and release a cargo manifest for the Lady R's visit to the Simon's Town naval base.
A DA lawmaker also asked Defence Minister Thandi Modise to release the documents during a debate in Parliament on Tuesday. Modise refused to do so while also using an expletive to repeat the government's denial that any weapons were loaded onto the ship.
Modise has said that the Russian ship was visiting to deliver an ammunition shipment to South Africa that was ordered in 2018 but delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Modise's refusal to make public the cargo manifest was supported by fellow ANC lawmakers, who said the documents were "classified." Modise said they would be handed over to the inquiry into the incident.
A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 83 per cent of adults in this country have a regular primary-care provider, but that still leaves 5.4 million adults without one.
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The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
Pope Francis issued the fourth encyclical of his papacy on Thursday, denouncing a world that 'is losing its heart' during times of global turmoil marked by 'wars, socio-economic disparities and the uses of technology that threaten our humanity.'
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce a major drop in the number of new permanent residents Canada will accept in 2025.
Quebec’s Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) is investigating after police in Gatineau, Que. shot and killed a man who allegedly stabbed an officer during an investigation.
Martha Stewart may be hot in the kitchen, but she’s not looking to replicate that on a dating reality show.
An investigation into a climate of fear at a Montreal primary school has reignited a debate about secularism in Quebec's education system, with the provincial government pledging to consider new measures to keep religion out of classrooms.
Ontario needs more money to properly deliver the national $10-a-day child-care program now and beyond the life of the current agreement, the province's education minister has told the federal minister in a new letter.
Speed was a possible factor in a Tuesday night rollover involving a semi-truck that left 17 cows dead. In a news release Wednesday, Calgary police said officers were called to the area of Stoney Trail S.E. and Macleod Trail S.E. around 8:10 p.m. for a reported rollover involving a semi-truck carrying 95 cattle.
Two B.C. RCMP officers won’t face criminal charges for their use for force that left a man who had been arrested for public intoxication with a concussion, a torn shoulder and a chunk of his hair missing – but they could face professional discipline.
Four people are dead and another is in hospital following a fiery crash in downtown Toronto that happened overnight on Lake Shore Boulevard.
Quebec’s Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) is investigating after police in Gatineau, Que. shot and killed a man who allegedly stabbed an officer during an investigation.
Pope Francis issued the fourth encyclical of his papacy on Thursday, denouncing a world that 'is losing its heart' during times of global turmoil marked by 'wars, socio-economic disparities and the uses of technology that threaten our humanity.'
Trash carried by a North Korean balloon fell on the presidential compound in central Seoul on Thursday, officials said, the second such case in recent months that raise concerns about the vulnerability of key South Korean sites during potential North Korean aggression.
An Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering in the central Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people on Thursday, Palestinian medical officials said.
Turkiye’s air force struck Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria on Wednesday in apparent retaliation for an attack at a key state-run defence company that killed five people and wounded more than a dozen others.
The Justice Department warned Elon Musk’s America PAC in recent days that his US$1 million sweepstakes to registered voters in swing states may violate federal law, people briefed on the matter told CNN.
If you’re a regular visitor to Walt Disney World, your annual passes are going to cost you more. The resort in Orlando, Fla., hiked prices on all four levels of its passes on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce a major drop in the number of new permanent residents Canada will accept in 2025.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is 'strong and united,' despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.
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A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 83 per cent of adults in this country have a regular primary-care provider, but that still leaves 5.4 million adults without one.
A quick shake of the head after a hard hit could signal that a person has a concussion, a new study suggests, based on the experiences of young athletes.
A recall has been issued for certain clothing items sold at Giant Tiger stores over high levels of lead, according to a notice published by Health Canada Tuesday.
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services received its first shipment of new firefighting gear on Wednesday, advancing the department's plans to reduce cancer risk for its members.
Officials in Hong Kong said Wednesday they have discovered dinosaur fossils in the city for the first time on a remote, uninhabited island that's part of a geopark.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Ron Ely, who played the title character 'Tarzan' in the 1960s NBC series, has died at the age of 86.
Cardi B says she has been hospitalized with a medical emergency and will have to miss a Saturday night headlining performance at an Atlanta music festival.
Almost three years after the deadly Astroworld Festival tragedy, Houston rapper and concert headliner Travis Scott just settled hundreds of lawsuits related to the case.
Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.
Equifax Inc. is launching a program to allow newcomers to transfer their foreign credit history to Canada.
Things could be looking up for Waterloo, Ont.-based company and former tech darling Sandvine, after being removed from the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List earlier this week.
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The Radium Hot Springs in British Columbia's Kootenay National Park has undergone a $29-million makeover.
Chris Boucher was back, for at least one game. The veteran forward spent most of last season at the far end of the Toronto Raptors' bench, rarely seeing playing time.
An 18-year-old has filed a lawsuit over the ownership of the ball Shohei Ohtani made baseball history with when he became the inaugural member of the 50-50 club.
Former 'Malcolm in the Middle' star Frankie Muniz is set to continue his NASCAR career with a full-time ride in the Truck Series for 2025.
An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
A senior executive for Volkswagen in China has been deported for allegedly using cocaine and marijuana while on vacation in Thailand, according to Chinese authorities and German media reports.
The U.S. government's road safety agency is investigating Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' system after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
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A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
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Legend has it that on a dark evening in 1988, friends of Supt. Joe Atherton quietly buried his body on the site of the old provincial RCMP headquarters in Vancouver.
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Four people are dead and another is in hospital following a fiery crash in downtown Toronto that happened overnight on Lake Shore Boulevard.
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A proposed inner-city apartment complex development by Anthem Properties is raising concerns for some residents of Hillhurst and West Hillhurst.
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Quebec’s Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) is investigating after police in Gatineau, Que. shot and killed a man who allegedly stabbed an officer during an investigation.
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It feels like fall in Ottawa today, after four straight days with temperatures in the 20s. Environment Canada says temperatures will warm up to 10 C on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
An investigation into a climate of fear at a Montreal primary school has reignited a debate about secularism in Quebec's education system, with the provincial government pledging to consider new measures to keep religion out of classrooms.
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Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says she will quit municipal politics after serving the final year of her second term, which comes to an end in November 2025.
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Donations are quickly pouring in for the family of a young woman who was found dead inside a Walmart in Halifax last weekend.
A volunteer treasurer is facing charges after funds went missing from Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston’s riding.
A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 83 per cent of adults in this country have a regular primary-care provider, but that still leaves 5.4 million adults without one.
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A sentencing hearing is set to begin today for a Manitoba man who admitted to killing his common-law partner and their two young children.
A 59-year-old man has died following a crash involving three vehicles that started after a tire fell off a car on the Trans-Canada Highway Wednesday morning in the RM of Tache.
Former Saskatchewan Party MLA Gary Grewal is defending his conduct and disagreeing with a recent report from the Conflict of Interest Commissioner (COIC) – which found he broke rules that prohibit MLAs from being involved with government contracts.
Southey RCMP say drivers should expect delays on Highway 6 Wednesday night after a serious crash.
Regina police says officers will provide an update Thursday in its search for the suspect of a homicide that took place in the city during the summer of 2023.
Detective Robert Hofstetter examined Erb’s home after her death and came to several conclusions based on the blood stains he found there.
A psychologist who recently assessed Geovanny Villalba-Aleman believes he may have experienced a psychotic break before stabbing three people in a gender studies class at a University of Waterloo.
Corrections Service Canada has confirmed a women’s prison in Kitchener is in lockdown.
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Canada's discount airline is suspending operations to and from Saskatoon.
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The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
It only took minutes for North Bay pharmacist Brian Chute to be out $1,500 after fraudsters deceptively swapped his bank card with another.
A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 83 per cent of adults in this country have a regular primary-care provider, but that still leaves 5.4 million adults without one.
A 27-year-old man is miraculously alive after his pickup went over Hawk Cliff near Port Stanley. Fire fighters estimate that from the top to bottom of the embankment is around 270 feet.
Under tough cross-examination at the London courthouse on Wednesday, Rachel Johnson, 21, was asked a number of times why there was a delay in calling 911
OPP have confirmed that a transport truck driver crashed into a historic home just southeast of London this morning.
A suspect in an armed robbery that took place one year ago in Hanover will officially face the court for their charges following an arrest on Sunday.
A haunted house in the Ontario Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.
In the Town of Tecumseh, residents and athletes alike are facing a pickleball problem that may prove costly.
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When 16-year-old Kaydence Bourque was struck and killed in a crosswalk on Cedar Hill Cross Road in Saanich in 2021, the community was shaken to the core.
A man who fired at least 19 gunshots at an RCMP detachment in northern British Columbia, narrowly missing officers inside, has won a reduced prison sentence from the province's highest court, which ruled the sentencing judge failed to fully weigh the man's mental illness at the time.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
Graduate students looking to become mental-health professionals will have more opportunities to study in the University of Lethbridge’s Master of Education Counselling Psychology program.
A dazzling light display is making its return to Lethbridge this holiday season.
As part of anniversary celebrations, the City of Lethbridge is inviting the community to see VisitLethbridge.com Arena like they never have before.
The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.
The union representing the fire rangers with the Ministry of Natural Resources says money won’t fix the systemic problems in the workplace.
Rallies by a group called Voices Against Violence took place across the country on Monday, including Sault Ste. Marie.
Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
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