Ramaphosa names panel to investigate Lady R docking incident

President Cyril Ramaphosa formed a three-person panel to investigate the controversial docking of a Russian ship, the Lady R, in Simon’s Town back in December 2022.

Ramaphosa initially announced this independent panel on 11 May 2023, when replying to questions in the National Assembly.

Lady R investigation panel

On Sunday, spokesperson for the Presidency, Vincent Magwenya, said the inquiry will be chaired by former Supreme Court judge Phineas Mojapel.

Advocate Leah Gcabashe and Enver Surty have been appointed as fellow panel members.

Gcabashe was previously involved with the state capture commission and has sat as an acting judge in High Courts in the past.

Surty previously served as the deputy minister of basic education from 2009 until 2019, and is a lawyer by education.

Investigative aims

The goal of 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 departure of the Lady R 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 may have had prior knowledge of the Lady R’s arrival and its supposed load.

They have also been tasked to identify the final destination of the cargo once it departed from Simon’s Town.

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.

Report after 8 weeks

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 two weeks after the deadline to submit the final report to Ramaphsa.

Magwenya said an extension may be granted if deemed necessary.

READ: Cargo was unloaded, not loaded, from ‘Lady R’ in Simon’s Town