The president appointed the panel Sunday, after U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety made the allegations earlier this month.
The inquiry, the presidency said in a statement, will look into the circumstances surrounding the docking of the Lady R cargo ship in the Simon's Town naval base port and the loading of cargo onto the vessel as well as its departure. The ship was allegedly docked in South African nation between Dec. 6-9.
"The panel has been tasked to establish persons who were aware of the cargo ship's arrival, and, if any, the contents to be off-loaded or loaded, the departure and destination of the cargo," the statement said.
The ship is one of 16 owned by Russian maritime shipping company Transmorflot that were blocked by the Biden administration in May of last year over allegations they transport weapons for the Kremlin.
On May 11, Brigety told local press that they are confident that weapons were loaded onto the vessel by South Africa while it was docked in the country late last year.
"I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion," he said during the press conference.
South Africa has denied the allegations. It has also declared a stance of neutrality in the conflict.
After Brigety spoke to the media, South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation issued a statement expressing its "utter displeasure" with his comments, which it said were "puzzling" and "at odds with the mutually beneficial and cordial relationship" that exists between their two countries.
Later on Twitter, Clayson Monyela, head of public diplomacy for South Africa, said that the South Africans explained in a meeting with Brigety that there is no record that they've approved arm sales to Russia and that they invited the U.S. ambassador to "produce any evidence that he relied on for the public pronouncements."
He also said Brigety "apologized unreservedly."
Though Brigety in his own tweet did not mention an apology as having been offered, he said he thanked the South Africans for the opportunity to "correct any misimpressions left by my public remarks."
The panel that will investigate the allegations is to be chaired by former Supreme Court Judge Phineas Mojapelo, the presidency said, adding that it has six weeks to finalize its investigation with a report to be presented to the president two weeks after that.
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