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IOL News
3 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
The silence of the NCACC: A call for accountability in South Africa's arms trade
As the investigative spotlight shines on RDM, the deafening silence from NCACC for nearly two months now only amplifies the urgency of the situation. 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.
Russia Today
28-02-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
South Africans demand closure of German arms manufacturing giant
A group of demonstrators braved the rainy weather to picket outside the Union Buildings in Pretoria demanding the closure of the Rheinmetall in South Africa and more control over arms sales to Israel and Ukraine. According to Thuto Mashaba, who led the protest this week, stated this was a continuation of the picket in Boksburg last month, which protested Rheinmetall's supply of weapons to Israel and Ukraine. Although the German armaments firm has publicly acknowledged that it supplies weapons to Ukraine, he underlined that activists are extremely concerned that it is still producing artillery shells. 'We demanded that President Cyril Ramaphosa at the very least check the activities of the Rheinmetall plant for compliance with South Africa's official policy of not intervening in international conflicts or supplying arms to third countries,' Mashaba said. BlackRock, a US financial corporation, holds the majority of shares in Rheinmetall Denel Munitions (RDM), a multinational arms manufacturer headquartered in Germany with operations in South Africa. According to the company's recent report, the German military's inventories are being reduced as a result of massive armament sales to Israel and Ukraine. RDM's South African division is a major supplier of 155mm ammunition. Israel and Ukraine both purchase weaponry from Rheinmetall's South African facility. The US Department of Defense recently announced that South Africa is a member of the Ukraine Defence Contact Support Group (UDCG). Notwithstanding South African regulations that forbid gun manufacturers from delivering their goods to areas of conflict, this activity is taking place. In a recent statement, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said for the war in the Ukraine where artillery stockpile shortages have been replenished by South African sales. 'As a consequence of our dismal lack of arms control and failure to adhere to our domestic law and regulations, as well as international arms control regulations, we are guilty of enabling genocide. 'The EFF demands that the South African government must, as a matter of urgency, reform our weak, and administratively inept approach to weapons exports, and strengthen the capacity of the NCACC to fulfil its legal mandate,' the EFF said. The red berets said it is simply untenable for South Africa to state in the ICJ that Israel is committing genocide, while weapons manufactured in South Africa supply Israel with the means to commit genocide. It is currently alleged that Rheinmetall circumvents South Africa's stringent export regulations by using its international network to divert ammunition from the factory to conflict areas after it is formally sold to Germany or other nations. IOL tried to get a comment from Rheinmetall but to no published by IOL
