President Cyril Ramaphosa formed a three-person independent panel to investigate the controversial docking of a Russian ship, the Lady R, in Simon’s Town, Western Cape, in December 2022.
The president initially announced this independent panel on 11 May 2023.
Lady R investigation panel
On Sunday, spokesperson for the Presidency, Vincent Magwenya, said the inquiry will be chaired by a retired judge.
He said Ramaphosa assigned former Supreme Court judge Phineas Mojapelo as the Chairperson of the inquiry.
Meanwhile, Adv Leah Gcabashe and Enver Surty have been appointed as fellow panel members.
Investigative aims
The intention behind this inquiry is to uncover the sequence of events that led to the docking of Lady R in Simon’s Town, as well as the alleged cargo loading.
The panel will also investigate the subsequent departure of the cargo ship from Simon’s Town during the period of 6 to 9 December 2022.
Magwenya said Ramaphosa initiated this inquiry due to the grave nature of the allegations, coupled with the heightened public interest and implications this matter has on SA’s international relations.
Scope of investigation
The panel is mandated to identify individuals who had prior knowledge of the cargo ship’s arrival and its supposed load to be offloaded or loaded.
They have also been tasked to identify the final destination of the cargo.
Moreover, the panel will assess whether all constitutional, legal, and other obligations were adhered to regarding the ship’s arrival, stay, cargo handling, and departure.
Once the investigation is complete, the panel will present a report containing suggestions for future actions based on their findings, as well as any potential protocol breaches.
The panel has been instructed to report directly to President Ramaphosa, and Magwenya said they will receive administrative support from personnel assigned by the Presidency.
The scope of the investigation is expected to span six weeks, and they will have to weeks after the deadline to submit the final report to Ramaphsa.
Magwenya said an extension may be granted if deemed necessary.
