The South African government is determined to allow the export of a large consignment of Chinese weapons and ammunition to the Zimbabwe Defence Force (ZDF).
The Mail & Guardian has confirmed that AB Logistics, state-owned Armscor’s transport arm, has been approached to handle the transport of the weapons to Zimbabwe, after several private logistics firms backed out of the transport contract because of the sensitive cargo and concerns about the ability of the Zimbabwean government to pay the transport costs.
The government’s role flies in the face of growing evidence of a campaign of human rights abuse intended to intimidate supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) — and independent observers’ assessment that there is a de facto military government in Zimbabwe.
This week, noseweek editor Martin Welz blew the whistle on the arms shipment, following the leaking to noseweek of the delivery documentation.
The documents, which the M&G has obtained, show that six containers of weapons destined for the ZDF were shipped to Durban by the Chinese government-controlled conglomerate Poly Technologies for onward transport to Harare. The consignment comprises three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1Â 500 rocket-propelled grenades and more than 3Â 000 mortar rounds together with mortar tubes.
It is aboard the Chinese vessel An Yue Jiang, which was, at the time of going to press, still waiting for a harbour berth in Durban.
An employee of AB Logistics in Durban, who asked not to be named, said: ”We have been asked to assist this tie because their usual agents couldn’t handle this delivery … At AB we all have the necessary security clearance, but it’s up to the government to say whether the shipment must take place.”
But government spokesperson Themba Maseko said on Thursday that South Africa was ”not in a position to act unilaterally and interfere in a trade deal between two countries”.
”South Africa is not at all involved in the arrangement: it’s a matter between the two countries. It would be possible, but very difficult for South Africa to start intervening and saying that we will not allow the shipment through,” Maseko told a media briefing.
Indications are that the consignment is a rushed delivery. It left China on March 15, days before the Zimbabwean elections, and apparently arrived off Durban on April 10 without the necessary documents to allow its entry into port.
Defence Secretary January Masilela said he had issued a conveyance permit on Monday after being alerted. He said the permit, allowing the weapons to transit through South Africa, was issued in terms of powers granted to him to make determinations between sittings of the national conventional arms control committee (NCACC).
Normally such permits would be sought well ahead of the shipment of the weapons.
Masilela said he had ”informed” Defence Minister and NCACC chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi of the permit issue. He said: ”The position on arms to Zimbabwe is that we trade normally with Zimbabwe; there is no embargo.”
Asked whether consideration had been given to NCACC policy, which discourages weapons exports to conflict zones and countries involved in the ”systematic violation or suppression of humanitarian rights and fundamental freedoms”, Masilela said he could not take account of ”allegations”.
He said there was no United Nations or African Union embargo on the supply of weapons to Zimbabwe, nor was there a Cabinet decision, as in the case of Israel.
Attempts to get comment from Mufamadi were unsuccessful.
The M&G has also established that the chief inspector of explosives — whose approval is also required for the shipment to proceed — dispatched an inspector to Durban from Pretoria on the first flight available on Thursday morning. He is expected to check safety aspects of the consignment as soon as the vessel docks, but the policy decision has already been taken by the NCACC.
Meanwhile, the International Action Network on Small Arms has called on the South African government to prevent the trans-shipment of the weapons to Zimbabwe ”in view of the strong likelihood that such arms will be used in Zimbabwe … to contribute to the violent attacks on civilians and the abuse of fundamental human rights including the suppression of democracy”.
Democratic Alliance defence spokesperson Rafeek Shah said on Thursday: ”If the government allows the weapons consignment to cross South African territory unhindered, and stands idly by while these weapons are used to suppress the Zimbabwean people, then any pretence that we are an honest broker in the Zimbabwean electoral process will be exposed for the sham that it is.”