US ambassador 'apologise to SA over Russia claim'

South Africa foreign ministry don tok say di US ambassador don "sorry openly" sake of dia claim say di kontri sell weapons to Russia.

On Thursday Reuben Brigety bin allege say one Russian ship dey loaded wih ammunition and weapons for Cape Town last December.

South Africa say dem no get record of any arms sale and President Cyril Ramaphosa don order inquiry.

On Friday di White House national security tok-tok pesin no go dey drawn on details of di allegations.

But John Kirby say e be "serious issue" and di US don consistently urge kontries make dem no provide support for Russia war for Ukraine.

For wetin e write for social media afta meeting wit di foreign ministry, Mr Brigety say e dey "grateful for di opportunity to... correct any misimpression wey im leave behind sake of im public remarks".

E bin tok for di conversation say e "tok again about di strong partnership between our two kontries and di important agenda our presidents don give us".

Meanwhile one South African cabinet minister hit out at dat kind "megaphone diplomacy", e say South Africa fit no dey "bullied by di US".

"E be di US wey get sanctions against Russia... dey must not drag us into dia wahala wit Russia," Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, one minister for di presidency, tori pipo SABC.

Her bullish comments follow one Kremlin statement say President Vladmir Putin don tok to im South African counterpart by phone and di two don agree to deepen "mutually beneficial ties".

Russia 'Lady R' ship dock for Cape TownNo argument say one Russian ship, wey pipo sabi as Lady R, dock for naval base

near Cape Town last December – e cause kwesions from local politicians dat time. Whether di ship dey supplied wit arms bifo e return to Russia still need to dey established.

If di accusations dey true, South Africa go don violat dia own Arms Control Act, wey commit to make dem "no trade conventional arms wit states wey engage for repression, aggression or terrorism".

For di same act, South Africa describe itself as one "responsible member of di international community".

South Africa be one of handful of kontries wey don restain from one number of UN votes on di conflict and don refuse to publicly condemn Russia, e insist say dem be non-aligne on di matter.

For months di regional superpower don dey tok say instead support one mediated settlement to di conflict.

To dey supply arms while claiming say dem dey neutral no go only rubbish dat stance but go leave South Africa wit plenti to answer both to dia citizens and di international community.

Some pipo for di governing African National Congress (ANC) don show say dem get one kind affection for Russia sake of di then-USSR support for dia fight against white-minority rule. But di present-day South Africa, many don dey ask kwesions about whether dis love affair truly serve South Africa interests.

Experts say di kontri get more in common and much bigger trade relationship wit di West. Some dey worried about possible economic impact if ties wit di US strain further.

Di kontri currency, di rand, wey don dey struggle for weeks sake of wetin don dey happun for months of rolling power cuts, weaken even further following di US ambassador accusations.

E be additional problem say South African citizens fit hardly afford.