Mbalula ‘shocked’ US has not recalled ambassador Brigety

It was shocking that US ambassador Reuben E Brigety II was still in the country, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said yesterday.

This comes after Brigety last month accused SA of arming the Russians against Ukraine.

“I am shocked that he’s still around because he has committed a monumental blunder,” Mbalula said.

“He must pack and go because he has acted uncharacteristically undiplomatically.”

Brigety said during a media briefing that the Russian ship, Lady R, was loaded with arms when it docked at the Simon’s Town Naval base in December.

Mbalula told the Sunday Times there were diplomatic channels at Brigety’s disposal to raise his concerns instead of “shooting like an unguided missile” in public.

“What will they [the US] do about the ambassador?

“It has brought the US into a precarious position because you don’t go out in public and make pronouncements,” Mbalula said.

“There are ways how these things are handled”

Mbalula recently met Brigety and his delegation where the ambassador is said to have offered his apology for dragging the ruling party into the fray.

Brigety said that the US had taken offence at the ANC posture on the invasion of Ukraine.

Under normal circumstances, Mbalula said, the ANC would not have “gone close to him”.

However, Mbalula said he needed to sit down with the ambassador because he mentioned the ANC and its resolutions.

“We had to deal with him because he brought the ANC’s name into it.

“You don’t go, as a diplomat, to a country and start to attack political parties.

“You can’t go to America and say ‘on behalf of SA, what Donald Trump and the Republicans are doing by attacking gay people is out of order’.

“It’s not your call, it’s a matter of that country,” Mbalula said.