Libya arms deals: Radebe should just tell us if we sold sniper rifles and ammunition to Libya

The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that Jeff Radebe, Chairperson of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), should immediately make a public statement on the alleged sale of 100 sniper rifles and more than 50 000 rounds of ammunition to Libya.

This will go a long way to clear up the confusion created by the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu's, bungling of questions related to the sale of arms to Libya.

The minister first claimed that we had not sold sniper rifles to Libya - as far as she was aware.

Then the minister claimed that we had not sold sniper rifles to Libya since the protest begun.

The minister later released a press statement attempting to clarify her position on arms sales to Libya.

The minister claims that she "would not have been aware" of the sale of sniper rifles and ammunition because the "selling of arms" is done by the NCACC.

However, the minister's attempt to clarify her position does exactly the opposite because she is in fact a member of the NCACC.

The minister would, therefore, have been aware of the alleged sale, assuming:

• sniper rifles and ammunition were sold to Libya; and
• that sale was authorised by the NCACC.

The minister appears to have tied herself up in a big political knot on the question of arms sales to Libya.

The fact is that government's denials - or rather non-denials - suggest that we did sell sniper rifles and ammunition to Libya.

This issue needs to be cleared up - immediately.

The DA therefore calls on NCACC chairperson Jeff Radebe to make a public statement and tell us:

• whether more than 100 sniper rifles and 50 000 rounds of ammunition were sold to Libya; and
• whether any other conventional arms have been sold to Libya.

The fact is that the public have a right to know if sniper rifles and ammunition have been sold to Libya.

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, February 24 2011

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