Blacklisted Russian Plane Lands in South Africa: What Was On It and Why Everyone's Being So Quiet

So, you’re telling me South Africa decided to play this game again?

Honestly, sometimes I wonder if there’s a secret competition in Pretoria to see who can make the most bafflingly self-destructive foreign policy decision. Because letting a US-sanctioned Russian cargo plane, fresh off a long layover in Iran, land on your soil is not just a bad look. It’s a five-alarm diplomatic dumpster fire.

This isn't some minor clerical error. This is an Ilyushin IL-76, operated by Abakan Air—a company the US Treasury explicitly blacklisted for hauling Russian military hardware. We’re talking about a plane that, according to reports, touched down in Upington "heavily loaded" with God-knows-what and then took off empty.

And the timing? It’s almost poetic in its stupidity. Relations with the US are already in the toilet, the AGOA trade deal that kept parts of the economy afloat is dead, and a notoriously thin-skinned Donald Trump is back in the White House. It’s like seeing a storm on the horizon and deciding it’s the perfect time to go sailing in a leaky boat. No, 'leaky boat' doesn't cover it—it's like trying to sail in a cardboard box.

This whole mess feels like a sequel nobody asked for. Remember the Lady R fiasco back in 2022? A sanctioned Russian ship docks at a naval base, the US ambassador loses his mind, and the rand tanks. President Ramaphosa launched a whole inquiry that, surprise surprise, found no evidence of wrongdoing. But the damage was already done. The trust was torched. What did they learn from that? Apparently, absolutely nothing.

The Art of Plausible Stupidity

Here’s where the story goes from a simple blunder to a full-blown masterclass in bureaucratic deflection. When reporters started asking questions about how South Africa allows Russian cargo aircraft to land despite US sanctions, the Department of Transport served up a steaming pile of nonsense.

Their spokesperson, Collen Msibi, confirmed they approved the permit for Abakan Air. The stated purpose? "To transport general cargo, civilian helicopters and acrobatic aeroplanes." Right. Because that’s definately what a military-linked cargo plane is doing on a long-haul flight from Iran. Just picking up some stunt planes.

But this next part is the real kicker. Msibi’s official line was: "It must also be noted that the South African government has not blacklisted the operator. Furthermore, we have no knowledge or receipt of any information from any other government that this operator has been blacklisted."

Let that sink in. "No knowledge."

Are you telling me that a government department responsible for granting international flight permits doesn't have access to Google? A five-second search pulls up the US Treasury’s OFAC sanctions list. It’s public information. This isn't some state secret buried in a Langley sub-basement. To claim ignorance here isn't just implausible; it's insulting. It’s a government looking its own citizens, and the rest of the world, straight in the eye and saying, "We think you're dumb enough to believe this."

And what about the Department of International Relations & Cooperation (Dirco)? You know, the people whose entire job is to manage international relations? They punted all questions back to the Department of Transport. You can almost hear the frantic phone calls, the "not my problem" emails flying back and forth. It’s a perfect circle of unaccountability. This isn't a coordinated foreign policy; it's a bunch of siloed-off bureaucrats hoping the music stops when someone else is holding the hot potato.

So which is it? Are they genuinely this incompetent, or is this a deliberate act of provocation disguised as incompetence? Does Pretoria actually think it can play footsie with Moscow and Tehran without any consequences from Washington?

You Can't Have It Both Ways

South Africa seems to be caught in a fantasy. It wants to be the righteous leader of the Global South, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with its BRICS partners like Russia and Iran, challenging Western hegemony. A noble goal, I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing.

But it also desperately wants—or needs—the economic benefits of a good relationship with the West, particularly the United States. You can’t have both. Not now. Not with the world fracturing into increasingly hostile blocs. Trying to be best friends with everyone is a surefire way to end up with no friends at all.

This entire situation is like watching someone try to pet a rattlesnake. They've been warned, they've seen what happens when you get too close, but they do it anyway, convinced that this time it won't bite. The Trump administration has already frozen aid and slapped on tariffs over far less. American lawmakers are already drafting bills to review the entire relationship with Pretoria. What do they think is going to happen now? A strongly worded letter?

The real tragedy is that the politicians and bureaucrats making these decisions will be fine. They’ll still have their jobs, their motorcades, their pensions. The people who will pay the price are the ordinary South Africans who will have to deal with a weaker currency, higher import costs, and a more isolated economy. They’re the ones getting thrown under the bus for these geopolitical games, and honestly...

This Whole Thing Smells Rotten

Let's call it what it is: a calculated risk that has already backfired. The official explanation is a lie. You don't accidentally approve a permit for a sanctioned Russian military logistics plane that just spent weeks in Iran. You just don't. This was a choice. Whether it was a signal to Washington, a favor for Moscow, or just a case of staggering institutional decay, the outcome is the same. South Africa just lit a match next to a powder keg and is now pretending to be surprised by the smell of smoke.