SUE THOMAS, Pretoria | Wednesday
SOUTH African Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said on Tuesday the government’s hands were clean in a multi-billion dollar arms deal and he distanced the state from alleged irregularities involving sub-contractors.
“There were no irregularities in the documents that crossed my desk,” Lekota told a panel investigating the R43-billion deal involving five European states.
Lekota said he had agreed to a forensic audit into allegations relating to sub-contracts, but he said the government was not responsible for any wrongdoing involving sub-contractors.
“The primary contracts are between the government and the multinationals. When the multinationals have to fulfil their contracts they are now in a position to conclude sub-contracts. It does no involve government,” he said.
“To expect the government to take responsibility for this would be stretching the matter too far. There is no evidence to suggest the government said you must conclude a contract with so-and-so,” he added.
The arms deal was signed in 1999 with British, French, German, Italian, South African and Swedish firms. They include Britain’s BAE Systems, France’s Thomson-CSF and Sweden’s Saab.
It was hailed as a major boost for South Africa’s struggling economy that would generate investment worth R104-billion and create 65 000 new jobs through sub-contracting.
But charges of corruption and overspending soon marred South Africa’s biggest post-apartheid arms deal and a three-member panel led by Public Protector Selby Baqwa, whose job is to defend standards in public office, was appointed to investigate.
The probe was recently widened to look into allegations that top South African officials received cut-price cars from the European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co (Eads), which won a sub-contract to supply radar and missile systems worth more than $50-million to four German corvettes.
Earlier this month Eads suspended its South African representative while Pretoria probed the arms deal.
The German prosecutors office in Munich has also launched an investigation that luxury cars were used to help defence companies win contracts.
Baqwa has taken the government to task for equipping the country with expensive conventional weapons when its social needs are still vast.
But Lekota told the panel the deal had been vital because the country’s weapons were outdated and needed to be replenished to meet its international peacekeeping obligations and to police its extensive coastline.
“We must have military capability especially in this time of the post Cold War drive to eliminate conflict,” he said.
The hearing was adjourned until August 14. -Reuters
FEATURES:
We are at the crossroads July 11, 2001
Feisty Frene under fire May 30, 2001
Watchdogs that bark, not bite Feb 14, 2001
Arms probe: ANC MP will fight February 5, 2001
ZA*NOW:
Yengeni cries racism, McCarthyism July 16, 2001
Tony keeps his wheels, for now … May 13, 2001
ANC puts party before democracy February 6, 2001
Arms probe? Off with your head! January 31, 2001
Stench of corruption lingers as MP axed January 30, 2001