• by IPS Correspondents (pretoria)
• Monday, November 14, 1994
• Inter Press Service

PRETORIA, Nov 14 (IPS) - AN ENQUIRY THIS WEEK INTO AN UNAUTHORISED ARMS SHIPMENT TO YEMEN IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE A GLIMPSE INTO APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA'S SECRET ARMS TRADE, WHICH VIOLATED THE UN'S INTERNATIONAL EMBARGO.

BOTH THE GIANT ARMAMENT MANUFACTURER, ARMSCOR, AND THE COUNTRY'S DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAVE WARNED OF POTENTIAL DIPLOMATIC EMBARRASSMENT.

SOUTH AFRICA'S DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAS SOUGHT TO HAVE INFORMATION, WHICH COULD EXPOSE ARMSCOR SUPPLIERS AND CUSTOMERS DURING THE 1980S, KEPT SECRET.

COMMISSION CHAIRMAN ACTING JUDGE EDWIN CAMERON WILL HAVE TO RULE THIS WEEK WHETHER TO MAKE PUBLIC PRETORIA'S SECRET LIST OF COUNTRIES INVOLVED IN BREAKING THE ARMS BAN.

JUDGE CAMERON IS ASSISTED BY MILITARY ANALYST LAURIE NATHAN AND ADVOCATE ISAAC MALEKA.

ARMSCOR MANAGING DIRECTOR TIELMAN DE WAAL LAST WEEK TESTIFIED HIS COMPANY WAS UNDER PRESSURE TO SELL AK47 ASSAULT RIFLES IN ITS POSSESSION BECAUSE OF RUMOURS THAT THE CHINESE WERE PLANNING TO "FLOOD THE MARKET WITH THREE MILLION AK47S".

THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE (SANDF) FEARED ITS RIFLES WOULD HAVE TO BE DESTROYED IF THEY WERE NOT SOLD, HE SAID.

A MILITARY EXPERT MONDAY SAID MORE THAN 4,500 AK47 ASSAULT RIFLES, PREVIOUSLY IN THE POSSESSION OF THE SANDF, HAVE MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED.

THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SUSPECTS THAT SOME OF THESE WEAPONS HAVE BEEN USED IN A SPATE OF ROBBERIES THAT HAVE HIT THE COUNTRY SINCE THE APRIL MULTI-RACIAL ELECTIONS.

THE CAMERON COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO SECRET DEALINGS BY ARMSCOR REVEALED THAT THE ARMY IMPORTED 38,500 AK47S FROM CHINA AND THE EASTERN BLOC BETWEEN 1976 AND 1989 TO ENSURE CONTINUITY OF SUPPLY TO REBEL MOVEMENTS IN ANGOLA AND MOZAMBIQUE.

SALES BY ARMSCOR TO THE LEBANESE CHRISTIAN MILITIA ACCOUNTED FOR 24,000 AK47S.

A SHIPMENT OF 10,000 AK47S AND 16,000 GERMAN G3 RIFLES MANUFACTURED IN SOUTH AFRICA WERE REFUSED ENTRY TO YEMEN IN SEPTEMBER WHEN THE END-USER CERTIFICATE WAS FOUND TO BE BOGUS.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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