DA to hand over Libya sniper rifle video material to Public Protector
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will hand over video material of a sniper rifle taken in Misrata, Libya, to the Public Protector who is in the process of investigating the possible illegal sale of sniper rifles and ammunition to Libya in 2010.
The video material of the sniper rifle, which was published in the weekend newspapers, provides proof that the sniper rifles were exported to Libya. Please find a link to this news story here. After months of stonewalling Jeff Radebe, Chairperson of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), has finally been caught
out.
Earlier this year the DA alleged that more than 100 sniper rifles and 50 000 rounds of ammunition had been sold to Libya in 2010.The transaction was allegedly authorized by the NCACC. However, Jeff Radebe, has stonewalled for months and never admitted or denied that that the sniper rifles and ammunition were exported to Libya.
The video material of the sniper rifle, which was taken in Misrata, Libya, reportedly shows a sniper rifle which was manufactured by Truvelo Manufacturers, a company based in South Africa. This video material provides proof that the sniper rifles were exported to Libya.
The DA will therefore hand over the video material to the Public Protector, Advocate Thuli Madonsela, who is in the process of investigating the possible illegal sale of more than 100 sniper rifles and 50 000 rounds of ammunition were sold to Libya in 2010.
The law regulating the conventional arms trade in South Africa states that we will not trade in conventional arms with states engaged in repression, aggression or terrorism.
The Public Protector will hopefully go through the NCACC's bottom draws and determine how it is that we exported highly lethal conventional weapons such as sniper rifles to a repressive regime like Libya. The fact is that the sniper rifles and ammunition should never have been sold to Libya.
We cannot sit back and allow South Africa to become an armory for dictators around the world.
Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, June 19 2011
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
