South Africa's top diplomat has admitted SA voted in favour of a UN resolution authorising a no-fly zone in Libya without understanding how it would be enforced.

Foreign Affairs director-general Jerry Matjila told MPs during a briefing on international matters yesterday that South Africa was in the dark about the intensity of the bombardment that would be required to enforce a no-fly zone.

"I don't think we explored thoroughly the modalities of the how, [such as] how do you ensure no-fly zones?

"All of us were moved by the carnage we saw in Libya. We were moved by the extent of destruction of civilian life and I think truly to the [African Union] and South Africa, and correctly so, we thought now we must protect ordinary people.

"But the modalities were left, I think, unresolved conclusively and those who have the means then developed their own means to enforce the 1973 resolution," said Matjila.

UN Resolution 1973 was passed by the world governing body's Security Council shortly after Muammar Gaddafi ordered ground and air strikes to quell a popular uprising in the country he has ruled for 42 years.

The bombing campaign has since intensified, with Nato - in charge of the operation - shelling Gaddafi's compound and other targets in the capital Tripoli, which they consider to be military targets.

One of Gaddafi's sons was killed during Nato's bombing of a compound.

South Africa and other African countries have since cried foul over the Nato operation, arguing that bombing Gaddafi's compound amounted to a regime change.

Matjila said there were not enough discussions at the UN Security Council about how the resolution would actually be enforced.

He said, however, that the government and the AU would oppose any plans to send in ground troops into Libya.

Matjila added that South Africa had stopped all arms sales to Libya and had issued restrictive permits to several countries that might ship South African made weapons to Libya.

South African-made sniper rifles and ammunition recently found their way to Gaddafi's troops in contravention of an arms embargo.

Meanwhile Matjila confirmed that Swaziland, which is facing a crippling cash crunch, was seeking a substantial loan from South Africa.

Although he wouldn't confirm the figure, reports last week indicated it had asked for R10-billion.

About R2-billion would be used to pay Swaziland's domestic debt, R1.7-billion towards agriculture and R1-billion to boost the local currency elangeni, which is pegged to the rand, according to reports.