DA welcomes greater transparency on conventional arms sales from SA
National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) chairperson, Jeff Radebe, has committed to tabling annual and quarterly reports, containing information on conventional arms sales, which has previously not been disclosed to Parliament.
On 22 August 2013, I wrote to Jeff Radebe pointing out that the NCACC was not complying with the enhanced reporting requirement set out in the National Conventional Arms Control Amendment Act (No. 73 of 2008).
The NCACC's annual and quarterly reports have, up until now, only contained information relating to the country, category and value of all conventional arms sales.
However, the reports should have contained information relating to the country, type, description, quantity and value of all conventional arms sales.
Replying to my letter on 08 March 2014, Jeff Radebe informed me that, after taking independent legal advice, he had decided:
The NCACC's annual and quarterly reports would in the future reflect the additional required information;
The NCACC's 2012 annual and quarterly reports would be updated with the required additional information and re-tabled in Parliament; and
The NCACC's 2013 third and fourth quarterly reports, containing the required additional information, had been tabled in Parliament.
What this means is that for the first time detailed information including the type, description and quantity of conventional arms sold will be disclosed to Parliament.
The NCACC's new enhanced reports will boost Parliament's capacity to conduct oversight of conventional arms sales from South Africa.
A recent controversial sale of armoured combat vehicles to Equatorial Guinea illustrates the point.
The transaction would have been reported in the NCACC's 2013 fourth quarterly reports as follows:
|
Country |
Category |
ZAR Value |
Explanation |
|
Equatorial Guinea |
C |
R42 300 000 |
- |
However, given the enhanced reporting requirements, the transaction has been reported in the NCACC's 2013 fourth quarterly report as follows:
|
Type and Description |
Final Importer State |
Item Description |
Quantity |
Value |
Remarks |
|
Armoured Combat Vehicles |
Equatorial Guinea |
Vehicle, Mine Protected - Reva III |
9 |
R30,600,000.00 |
|
|
|
|
Vehicle, Mine Protected - Reva V |
3 |
R11,700,000.00 |
|
Previously, we would never have known that the transaction between South Africa and Equatorial Guinea involved 12 Reva III/V armoured combat vehicles.
This is a major step forward for transparency on conventional arms sales from South Africa.
I will, given the human rights standard, in our legislation regulating conventional arms sales, therefore be requesting an investigation by the NCACC's inspectorate into the sale of armoured combat vehicles to Equatorial Guinea.
Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Defence & Military Veterans, March 17 2014
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