The Speaker of the National Assembly, Max Sisulu MP, appears to be trying to stop a debate of the dodgy arms deals in Parliament.

Last week the Democratic Alliance (DA) wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly to request a ‘snap debate' on the crisis in the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) and its implications for South Africa.

A snap debate is an urgent debate that allows the National Assembly to discuss an issue of national importance.

However, we learnt yesterday that the request for the debate had been rejected.

The reasons for this are contradictory. Initially we were told that it had been declined on the grounds that it was not an urgent matter, nor was it a matter of national importance; today, however, we were informed it was rejected on a technicality. Both reasons appear to be designed to avoid debating the dodgy arms deals allegations in Parliament.

There is no doubt that the dodgy arms deals are a matter of urgent public importance: the NCACC is in a crisis and there are pending deals to sell conventional arms to repressive regimes such as Syria and Zimbabwe.

The DA will therefore today submit a notice of motion, requesting a debate on the crisis in the National Conventional Arms Control Committee and its implications for South Africa.

If one looks at some of the other issues debated by Parliament over the past few years, there can be little doubt this particular matter is far more important than a great many other issues debated in the House. For example:

• The significance and role of the working class movement in the transformation of our country due to 2006 being the 60th anniversary of the mineworkers strike of 1946; and
• The contribution and relevance of Satyagraha to our political, economic and social values.

The fact that South Africa is selling arms to a series of undemocratic regimes, with appalling human rights records and a number of which are involved in regional or internal conflicts is far more important than many of the other matters put before the National Assembly and, I believe, it has a duty to debate this matter and to debate it urgently.

The DA will also read a series of four Members Statements on the crisis in the NCACC and its implications for South Africa. Our purpose is to put this matter on the parliamentary record and to set out how, in approving conventional arms sales to repressive regimes we have undermined the letter and the spirit of the law regulating the sale of conventional arms with states that we should not be trading in conventional arms with, states that are engaged in repression, aggression and terrorism.

NOTICE OF MOTION

I hereby give notice that I intend moving the following motion:

That the House debates the crisis in the National Conventional Arms Control Committee and its implications for South Africa

THE DA'S FOUR NCACC MEMBERS' STATEMENTS

David Maynier MP

When former president Nelson Mandela announced that "human rights will be the light that guides our foreign affairs" we made a clear break with our foreign policy past.

To give effect to the principle that human rights should be the foundation of our foreign policy, we passed a law to regulate the sale of conventional arms. In the preamble to that law we say that our country "is a responsible member of the international community and will not trade in conventional arms with states engaged in repression, aggression and terrorism". And yet it now emerges that we are dealing with some of the most repressive regimes in the world.

We sold conventional arms to Libya, Syria and Venezuela. We are attempting to sell conventional arms to Syria and Zimbabwe. And we demonstrated military support equipment in North Korea.

And in the end we did this, not because there is a crisis in our conventional arms control regime (and there is a crisis), but because this government has never found a dictator it doesn't like.

That is why we need an urgent debate on the crisis in the National Conventional Arms Control Committee and its implications for South Africa.

James Lorimer MP

The preamble to the law regulating the sales of conventional arms states that our country is a responsible member of the international community and will not trade in conventional arms with states engaged in repression, aggression or terrorism.

But now it emerges that we have been selling glide bombs that could be used to deliver nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to Libya. We have also been selling multiple grenade launchers to Libya.

Human Rights Watch says that Libya "has no free press and no independent organisations. Libyans continue to face arrest and torture for expressing peaceful criticism of the government and its undisputed leader." Human Rights watch continues to note that in Libya, rape victims risk prosecution for adultery or fornication if they attempt to press charges.

We call on the minister to urgently investigate this arms deal that has been authorised by the NCACC and to stop the export of weapons if they have not already been delivered.

Lindiwe Mazibuko MP

The preamble to the law regulating the sales of conventional arms states that our country is a responsible member of the international community and will not trade in conventional arms with states engaged in repression, aggression or terrorism.

But now it emerges that we have been selling multiple grenade launchers to Syria and that there is a deal pending authorisation for thousands of sniper rifles to Syria.

Human Rights Watch says that "Syrian authorities continue to restrict freedom of expression, and an independent press remains nonexistent." Syria's multiple security services detain people without arrest warrants and frequently refuse to disclose their whereabouts for weeks and sometimes months. Human rights activists are targets of government harassment and arrest. Syria allows judges to suspend punishment for a rapist if the rapist chooses to marry his victim.

We call on the minister to stop this deal: stop the sale of thousands of sniper rifles to Syria.

Kenneth Mubu MP

The preamble to the law regulating the sales of conventional arms states that our country is a responsible member of the international community and will not trade in conventional arms with states engaged in repression, aggression or terrorism.

But now it emerges that we are attempting to sell millions of rounds of ammunition to Zimbabwe.

Human Rights Watch says that "ZANU-PF violations of basic human rights continue and its policies have deepened the country's humanitarian crisis." Law enforcement agencies have undermined the rule of law and police are reported to be responsible for widespread violations, torture and violence against opposition supporters and against human rights activists.

We call on the minister to stop this deal: stop the sales of millions of rounds of ammunition to Zimbabwe.

Statement issued by David Maynier, MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of defence and military veterans, August 18 2009

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