SA sold R70m in arms to Libya

The National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) annual report for 2010 showed that South Africa sold weapons to Libya worth about R70 million last year.

This included Category A weapons worth R1.9 million, Category B weapons worth R10.7 million and Category C weapons worth R56.2 million, the Sunday Independent reported.

NCACC chairman and Justice Minister Jeff Radebe said South Africa exported arms worth R80.9 million to Libya between 2003 and 2009.

He refused to say whether more weapons went to Libya last year ahead of that country's civil unrest.

South African law prohibited the sale of weapons to countries where they may contribute to international repression, human rights violations or were likely to escalate regional military conflicts, endanger peace or threaten regional stability.

The NCACC was supposed to oversee weapons and military equipment transactions to ensure this did not happen.

Last year government approved the sale of more than R35 billion of military hardware to 78 of the world's most repressive regimes according to the report.

In addition, it approved 345 weapons contracts with 83 countries to the value of R27.7 billion as well as 3536 arms export permits worth R8.3 billion and allowed imports from 69 countries valued at R3.9 billion.

Officially sanctioned weapons exports included: Algeria (R158.3 million), Azerbaijan (R119.1 million), Burundi's (R119.1 million), Equatorial Guinea (R5.8 million), Pakistan (R34.6 million), China (R60.5 million) and Saudi Arabia (R68.2 million).