Africa-Press – South-Africa. City of Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has called on International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor to “block” Russian businessman Alexey Mordashov’s megayacht, Nord, from entering South Africa next month.
On Monday, Hill-Lewis said he had written to Pandor to ask her to intervene.
He said South Africa was bound by the Constitution to take a strong stance against Russia and that it had a “moral duty” not to support the businessman amid his home country’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. He added that the businessman had ties with the Russian government and that he was an accomplice to the invasion.
According to Hill-Lewis, South Africa’s position on the matter was “shameful”. Preventing the yacht’s entry would save its image in the global community, he added.
“The international community has recognised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its annexation of four areas of Ukrainian territory by force as illegal,” Hill-Lewis said.
He continued:
Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) spokesperson Clayson Monyela told News24 that Lewis’ request was “strange” because that was not Pandor’s jurisdiction.
Comment from transport department spokesperson Lwaphesheya Khoza will be added once received.
News24 sister publication Business Insider reported that the yacht was on its way to South Africa from Hong Kong.
It had allegedly been “hiding” in east Russia’s Vladivostok after leaving the Seychelles. It left the island republic due to a fear of sanctions after several yachts belonging to sanctioned Russians were seized by the US and European governments.
Nord sailed into Hong Kong earlier this month and could dock in Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront.
Although Hill-Lewis said Mordashov was aboard the superyacht, according to his spokesperson, who was quoted in Business Insider, he was in Moscow since the yacht’s arrival in Hong Kong.
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