News release
South African Arms Exports, 2000–2009
National Arms Controller in Gross Dereliction of its Duty
After three-and-a-half years of costly procedural and legal action with the help of the SouthAfrican History Archive and the Open Democracy Advice Centre, the Ceasefire Campaign has finally succeeded in obtaining the annual reports of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee for the ten-year period from 2000 to 2009.In 2008 South Africans and civil society from other SADC countries, stood united in their determination that arms should not reach Zimbabwe, whose human-rights record is one of the worst in the world. In a move that beggared belief, the NCACC had ratified the transfer of arms across our country claiming that this was in accordance with the criteria laid out in the NCAC Act. Statements made by the Defence Secretariat at the time indicated that it was quite unaware of the criteria themselves. This example illustrates how critical it is that the records are open for perusal if we are to hold the NCACC accountable for arms transfers condoned in our name.
