Question NW4216 to the Minister in the Presidency

Steenhuisen, Mr JH to ask the Minister in the Presidency

(1)Whether, with reference to the reply to question 2617 on 26 October 2022 by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms T R Modise, on whether the Armaments Corporation of South Africa SOC Ltd (Armscor) sells arms and ammunition, propellant powder and/or explosives to the Russian Federation, noting her refusal to deny this outright, and further noting Armscor’s own stated limitations on selling armaments to or trading in conventional arms with countries involved in the systematic violation and/or suppression of humanitarian rights and fundamental freedoms, countries, individuals, groups, undertakings and entities involved in international terrorism, and countries involved in armed conflict, all three of which clauses would exclude the Russian Federation, and further noting the moral responsibility of the Republic to strive for global peace and defend the freedom of sovereign nations, the National Conventional Arms Control Committee received any request from any South African arms manufacturers for permission to export to the Russian Federation and/or Belarus arms, munitions, propellants and/or technology that may be used in the manufacture of the specified products since 24 February 2022; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether he, including Armscor and Denel, discussed the possibility of the export of arms, munitions, propellants and/or technology that may be used in the manufacture of the products since 24 February 2022 with any representative of the Russian Federation and/or Belarus government; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether any arms, munitions, propellants and/or technology that may be used in the manufacture of the products have been exported to a country that may in turn export them to the Russian Federation and/or Belarus since 24 February 2022; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (4) whether Government has taken any steps to ensure that the Republic is not in breach of its own restrictions on the export of arms, munitions, propellants and/or technology that may be used in the manufacture of the products to the Russian Federation and/or Belarus since February 2022; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details of the steps?