South Africa’s arms policy: avoiding Israel, but arming its allies?

Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
19 November 2024 | 22:34 CAT
2-minute read

• SA has maintained a 20-year policy of not supplying arms directly to Israel, a stance confirmed by research from Open Secrets.
• However, SA continues to supply arms to Israel’s allies, such as Germany.
• These weapons might indirectly reach Israel or allow allies to replenish their own stock while arming Israel.
• No mechanisms in place to verify end use of arms; SA government relies on trust and faces financial risk of halting arms trade with Israel’s allies.

An Open Secrets report has drawn attention to the fact that despite South Africa’s 20-year policy that prohibits supplying weapons to Israel, South African arms companies continue to sell arms to Israel’s allies, which include Germany, Hungary, France the United States and Italy.

While South Africa does not export weapons directly to Israel, there are concerns that the arms inadvertently reach the IOF or allow allies to replenish their stock while arming Israel.

South African arms companies sold over R3 billion worth of arms to Israel’s largest suppliers in 2023 with government approval. Open Secrets’ head of investigations, Michael Marchant told Radio Islam that Germany, a close ally of Israel, was supplied with almost R2 billion worth of South African-manufactured arms.

“In 2023, including after October 7^th, we supplied R1,7 billion of weapons to Germany, including bombs, rounds and shells, including 155mm ammunition that’s manufactured in South Africa. During that period, Germany was Israel’s second-largest weapons supplier,” Marchant said.

While Open Secrets has found no concrete evidence of South African weapons being used by the IOF, there is evidence that  155mm artillery ammunition that is manufactured by German companies operating in South Africa are being used in two of the largest current global conflicts.

“In times of conflict like this, it can be incredibly difficult to ascertain where explosive munitions can be very difficult to trace,” Marchant emphasised.

The organisation is calling for more rigorous oversight from the South African government. The National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), responsible for monitoring arms exports, was non-operational for six months this year due to delays in reconstitution following the national elections. In response to concerns raised by Open Secrets, the NCACC stated that it trusts its international partners to respect their legal obligations.

Tightening restrictions could result in significant financial losses for South Africa’s arms industry, particularly if exports to major buyers like Germany were curtailed. However, some analysts argue that a country so vocal in its support for Palestinian liberation cannot afford to compromise its principles for profit.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.