Arms deal report vindicates defence department‚ minister

The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans‚ Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula‚ has welcomed the findings of the Arms Procurement Commission‚ saying it has vindicated her department.

President Jacob Zuma‚ who released the Arms Procurement Commission report on Thursday‚ said it had found that there was no evidence that any of the contracts in the arms deal of 1999 were tainted by evidence of corruption‚ fraud or irregularities.

“It has always been our contention‚ that of all what has been said‚ we have been vindicated and there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the SANDF needed to acquire such capabilities for an effective defence of our country and its territorial integrity‚” Mapisa-Nqakula said in a brief statement.