South Africa continues to support the
manufacture of ‘smart mines’ despite foreign
opposition, writes Justin Pearce
South Africa has again refused to support an
outright ban on landmines, in defiance of the
wishes of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on
Foreign Affairs
This week South Africa went to the Review
Conference on the United Nations Convention on
Conventional Weapons (CCW) with a position
virtually unchanged since the original review
conference last year, which called for a
further conference after a failure to reach
consensus. The position taken to both
conferences is that CCW should allow the
continued manufacture of “smart mines”, mines
which self-destruct after a set period of
time, and that armies should phase in the use
of “smart mines” to replace existing stocks.
Supporters of “smart mines” argue that they
fulfil the defence function of conventional
mines without the long-term risk to civilians.
Opponents argue that “smart mines” are equally
capable of maiming civilians.
Following last year’s conference, the
Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs decided
in favour of implementing a ban on the
production, use and transfer of all types of
anti-personnel mines — a position which was
overridden by the Department of Foreign
Affairs when it took its position favouring
“smart mines” to Geneva this week.
A representative of the Department of Foreign
Affairs said South Africa’s position at the
conference must not be seen as reflecting the
government’s principled position on landmines.
The government’s concern was to unite
countries behind the convention, and for this
reason the convention had to be one which
would be acceptable to most governments.
However, more and more countries are calling
for an outright ban on all kinds of anti-
personnel mines. Germany, Canada and Australia
are the most recent countries to add their
voices to the anti-mine campaign, bringing to
29 the total number of countries supporting
this position. Mozambique, heavily mined
during more than 20 years of civil war, also
supports a total ban.
According to Foreign Affairs, the South
African position is not immutable, and could
yet change by the time the review conference
ends next week.
Cabinet is still divided on the issue. As
recently as the beginning of April,
indications were that cabinet would support an
outright ban, but this position had changed by
the time the delegation went to Geneva.
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines
has flown people who lost limbs in landmine
explosions to be present at the conference, to
remind delegates of the human cost of
landmines.