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Admiral Gorshkov arrived in Cape Town on Monday, 13 February. Image: Twitter/@RusConsCapeTown
Russia’s Admiral Gorshkov frigate, which is reportedly armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, arrived in Cape Town on Monday, 13 February, ahead of participating in naval exercises with the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and China.
We are not hosting this warship, nor is it welcome in the Mother City. Cape Town will not be complicit in Russia's evil war. @PresidencyZA must answer for his complicity. #RWSGFY #VoetsekRussianWarship https://t.co/3XOu82xOAL
— Geordin Hill-Lewis (@geordinhl) February 13, 2023
ADMIRAL GORSHKOV IN CAPE TOWN
The Russian Consulate in Cape Town announced Admiral Gorshkov’s arrival on Monday. The battleship is heading to Durban to participate in the controversial naval exercises in Durban and Richards Bay between 17 and 27 February.
The Russian Consulate said Cape Town was hosting the frigate in a tweet, which clearly irked local mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, so much so that he coined a new hashtag – #VoetsekRussianWarship.
Hill-Lewis wrote, “We are not hosting this warship, nor is it welcome in the Mother City. Cape Town will not be complicit in Russia’s evil war.”
It is unclear if Admiral Gorshkov was merely refuelling after the journey from Russia or if the crew would be given a chance to stretch their legs.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is very much against the official stance of neutrality taken by the South African government.
According to CNN, the Zircon hypersonic missiles can hit a target more than 900 kilometres away.
As previously reported, in December 2022, a sanctioned Russian Ro-Ro ship, Lady R, spent three nights at the Simon’s Town naval dockyard. The government has remained tight-lipped about what the ship was doing here.
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