Minister in the Presidency responsible for State Security Khumbudzo Ntshavheni is travelling to Moscow for a high-level meeting to discuss global security matters.
Ntshavheni’s trip to Russia comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa is preparing to travel to that country and Ukraine with a group of other African leaders on a peace mission.
Her Russia trip also comes after army chief Lawrence Mbatha was in that country a week ago.
The visit to the Russian capital happens in the wake of tension between South Africa and the US over Lady R.
The Russian vessel had docked in Simon’s Town and US ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety had accused South Africa of supplying Moscow with arms.
But this has been denied by Pretoria.
While in Russia Ntshavheni will discuss with officials the impending visit to Moscow by Ramaphosa and other African leaders.
Ramaphosa will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin early in June.
“Furthermore, Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni will engage with relevant authorities on matters material to the initiatives announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa of the African Leaders’ Peace Mission to Russia and Ukraine. In addition, the minister has sent a team of high-level officials to Ukraine in preparation of the peace initiative mission,” said Ntshavheni’s office.
Ramaphosa and the presidents of Senegal, Congo-Brazzaville, Zambia, Uganda and Egypt will also meet the president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelesnky in Kyiv.
Minister of International Relations and Co-operation Naledi Pandor met Foreign Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba in Lisbon, Portugal, last Friday.
Pandor was on a working visit to Portugal where she also met her counterpart in that country.
South Africa has insisted that it was non-aligned in the conflict in Ukraine.
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