The silence of the NCACC: A call for accountability in South Africa's arms trade
Image: Supplied
It has now been nearly two months since the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) held its quarterly briefing on April 4, a meeting that failed to provide real answers but made one thing painfully clear: the cracks in South Africa's arms oversight regime are widening.
Multiple Members of Parliament expressed sharp criticism that day, urging the NCACC to take more responsibility for South African weapons potentially finding their way into global conflict zones.
Among them was MP Carl Niehaus, who didn't just speak; he acted. He submitted a formal written request demanding clarity on how locally produced munitions are being exported to countries at war, particularly Israel and Ukraine.
Since then, no formal response has been received from the NCACC. The Committee has neither acknowledged the inquiry nor provided any clarification regarding the allegations. The concerns raised by Niehaus came in the wake of serious investigative reporting.
In early 2024 and into 2025, platforms like Investigate Europe and Open Secrets published detailed exposés on Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM), a South African-German joint venture operating shell factories whose exports appear to bypass scrutiny and accountability routinely. The stories link RDM to weapons shipments ending up in Ukraine, Israel, and, previously, Yemen.
It's a stark reality that South Africa's own legislation, which prohibits arms exports to countries in active conflict, is being blatantly disregarded.
This silence not only underscores a deeper institutional issue but also highlights the alarming lack of accountability in the arms trade. Without clear penalties or deadlines, the NCACC's response to parliamentary inquiries becomes optional, and crucial issues like Niehaus's risk being swept under the rug without any consequences.
At a time when the world is scrutinising the arms trade more than ever, South Africa's unregulated export of artillery shells to conflict zones sends a deeply troubling message. As a country that claims to champion peace and neutrality, this undermines South Africa's credibility on the global stage and places it in a morally ambiguous, if not outright condemnable, position.
Even more disturbing is the complete lack of response from RDM itself. The company has made no effort to address the accusations or even issue a public statement clarifying its compliance with the NCACC's export regulations.
This is not a minor oversight. When your company is being named in connection with possible arms exports to war zones, the absolute minimum response should be transparency.
Instead, RDM has chosen the same path as the NCACC complete silence.
It's worth asking why. The refusal to engage only deepens suspicions. If there is nothing to hide, then why not speak up? If the company is indeed acting within the legal framework, a brief statement would be enough to at least reassure some of the public and parliamentarians who are now rightfully concerned.
If the NCACC cannot respond to a parliamentary inquiry promptly, especially under such circumstances, then what exactly is it doing? Who is it protecting? The public? Or the arms industry? Parliament deserves an answer.
* Bayethe Msimang is an independent writer and analyst.
** The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of IOL or Independent Media.
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