BMA clarifies circumstances around Russian navy vessel docked in Cape Town Harbour

CAPE TOWN - The Border Management Authority (BMA) has moved to clarify the circumstances around a Russian navy vessel docked in the Cape Town Harbour.

It said the seamen had been denied permission to disembark the vessel because they did not have passports.

This week, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party claimed that a diplomatic incident was brewing over the government’s alleged refusal for those on board to leave the ship.

But the BMA said that no prior application was made for the crew to leave the vessel without passports.

It’s not the first time that the Russian navy vessel, the Smolny, has docked in Cape Town.

It arrived in the city on Monday, with an estimated 400 crew on board, half of whom are naval cadets undergoing training.

The BMA said that prior to its arrival, meetings were held about the conditions of their stay.

These included that the sailors remain on board the vessel, as they only had seafarers’ identification in their possession.

The BMA said the vessel received diplomatic clearance from the international relations department for replenishment, rest and recuperation.

The authority said that no application to waive document requirements was made to either the Department of Home Affairs, the Department of Defence, or the Department of International Relations.

The sailors were denied permission to disembark to go on a city excursion this week because they neither had passports nor a waiver.