Africa as a Nuclear Free Zone: briefing

Meeting report

FOREIGN AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
23 October 2002
AFRICA AS A NUCLEAR FREE ZONE: BRIEFING

Chairperson: Dr. J P Jordan

SUMMARY
The worldwide energy crisis has caused countries to search for alternative energy sources such as nuclear energy. This type of energy has both advantages and disadvantages and it is therefore important that South Africa and the African continent have a policy about nuclear energy.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs briefed the Committee about South Africa's policy regarding nuclear energy and its role in the drawing up of the Pelindaba Treaty. The treaty aims to declare Africa a nuclear free zone. The Deputy Minister explained why this treaty was not ratified yet and the problem associated in getting it ratified

MINUTES
The Chairperson opened the meeting by welcoming the Deputy Minster and apologising for the cancelation of the previous week's meeting.

He explained that the Deputy Minister was there to brief the committee on South Africa's policy regarding nuclear energy and the developments in declaring Africa as a nuclear free zone. He stated the importance of this since a major war seemed imminent.

He reminded the committee that South Africa did at one time have a nuclear weapon program, but that it was the only country which had unilaterally denounced these weapons and destroyed them. He also pointed out that this action had not compromised the country's security. He then handed over to the Deputy Minister to brief the committee.

The Deputy Minister, Mr. Aziz Pahad, opened by saying that South Africa did at one stage have a very advanced program of nuclear and chemical weapons. He reiterated that South Africa was the only country which had destroyed its own weapons. Since the Second World War certain areas around the world have been declared Nuclear Free Zones. Since then there has been many discussions dealing with the threat of nuclear war and how to deal with it. He pointed out that Japan was still dealing with the after effects of a nuclear attack. Many treaties have been drawn up which declared certain areas Nuclear Free Zones. A Nuclear Free Zone was one where nuclear weapons was not allowed to be introduced and which regulated the peaceful use of nuclear energy. South and Central America was one of these Zones and the Bangladesh Treaty also provided for a zone in South East Asia.

Mr. Pahad continued to explain that the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) had established a council of experts which would investigate and draft a the text of a treaty where Africa would be declared a Nuclear Free Zone. At that time, South Africa was not full member of the OAU yet, and was not that involved in the text of the treaty. The treaty would address the use nuclear energy and the dumping of nuclear waste. South Africa was only admitted as a full member of the OAU in 1994 and this treaty then became a reality, with it playing a leading role in the negotiations. This led to the Pelindaba Treaty which was signed by fifty of the fifty four African states on 2 June 1995. This treaty has not been ratified yet however. Twenty eight countries need to ratify this treaty and so far only seventeen have. The objective at present is therefore to get the other signatures so that the treaty could come into force.

Mr. Pahad explained that one of the problems was that North African states were campaigning for a Nuclear Free Zone in the Middle East since it is believed that Israel has nuclear capacity. For this reason the Pelindaba Treaty was not high on their agenda. The other problem was that many African countries never had nuclear weapons and therefore it was not high on the agenda of these parliaments. The African Commission therefore has the responsibility to report and exchange information of treaty to nations and promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

At this point the Deputy Minister referred to what he described as the "dirty tricks campaign" against South Africa. He alluded to articles in the Spectator and Insight magazines which stated that South Africa had supplied Iraq with enriched uranium tubes. He mentioned that Mr. Selfe of the DA and been involved in this and that it was not helping South Africa. He said that it had also been mentioned in the British report on Iraq, that Iraq had approached certain African countries for nuclear supplies. This could only be referring to South Africa. He stated that this assertion was being challenged and encouraged the committee to perhaps do something so that no more damage is done.

On the peaceful use of nuclear power, Mr. Pahad said that there was lots of debate around this. South Africa however was committed that some of our energy could be solved through nuclear power. Nuclear energy can be used in medicine etc. and there are advances in isotope and radiation application here in South Africa. South Africa has also joined the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) technical program which has a number of successful programs. It is doing pilot projects in neonatal screening, development of pigs that are resistance to certain diseases and programs which would combat fruit fly. ESCOM is also in the process of researching the building of a new nuclear reactor called a Pebble Bed Nuclear Reactor (PBNR). Research and development is also being done on reducing the salinity of ground water. Successful projects have already been done in Zimbabwe and Uganda. Mr. Pahad explained that government was committed tothis aspect of the work and did not want scientists to be used for devious means. In concluding his briefing. he once again encouraged the committee to help the department to reach its objectives in overseeing this process.



Discussion

Mr. L Zita (ANC) wanted know the extent to which nuclear dumping was taking place in South Africa and what the African Union (AU) was doing about this. He also questioned how much consensus there was about the peaceful use of nuclear energy and whether nuclear disarmament should not be on the international agenda since it posed a threat to humanity. Mr. Pahad responded that dumping was of great concern but that it was difficult to monitor as it is not made public. He agreed that it was pertinent as there is an accidental element involved. On the question about the peaceful use of nuclear energy, he said that it was very difficult to get 100% consensus. He explained that for disarmament to happen, a change of mindset was needed and mentioned the Soviet Union as an example. It was not known what weapons these states still had and who controlled it. South Africa would not be able to enforce it, but could make its voice heard.

Ms. F Mahomed (ANC) wanted to know which counties had not signed the Pelindaba Treaty yet and whether there was a timeframe in which this treaty could be enforced. She also wanted to know whether tertiary institutions at which scientists were being trained, were engaged in a process in which there was a transfer of skills. Mr. Pahad replied that Madagascar, Somalia, Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara had not signed the treaty. He reiterated that the problem was that it was not a priority with many countries since they had never had nuclear weapons. For peaceful use of nuclear energy it was however important that the treaty be ratified. He went on to explain that the transfer of technology was a sensitive matter. There were strict procedures in place and one had to ensure that the information transferred was used for peaceful means.

Dr. S E Pheko (PAC) raised the issue around disarmament. He stated that everybody should disarm. His concern was that the USA wanted everybody to disarm yet they possessed nuclear weapons. He wanted to know whether South Africa, who was the chief supplier of uranium in the world, insisted that its uranium only be used for peaceful use. Mr. Pahad stated that he did not know whether that that condition applied. The Minister of Mineral and Energy Affairs would probably be able to answer the question for the member.

Dr.B L Geldenhuys (NNP) noted that much work had gone into the Pelindaba Treaty and that he was surprised to hear that it was not ratified yet. He wanted to know whether South Africa would insist at the African Union that it be ratified since we are the chair at the moment. He also wanted to know how many nuclear scientists had left South Africa and how many were employed in the East. Mr. Pahad responded that he was not sure how many scientists had left and that he hoped those who had left would return. He mentioned that the embassies were trying to mobilise these professionals to be ambassadors for South Africa wherever they are.

Mr. W Makanda (UDM) stated that since the Cold War, the world was not bipolar and that the momentum to disarm was not there. He wanted to know whether this issue was still being dialogued. He also wanted to know who had jettisoned the country's nuclear program. Mr. Pahad replied that there was a committee in the United Nations on non-proliferation where the issue is disarmament was dialogued. The IAEA was another place where this issue was discussed. He stated that it was the previous government that had destroyed its nuclear weapons and that we were regularly inspected by the IAEA.

Mr. M Ramgobin (ANC) stated that we should insist that the uranium we sell only be used for peaceful means. He also noted that nuclear waste would only be bought by dictators and not democratic governments. The AU should therefore review this and not just issues of governance. Mr. Pahad stated that he was quite confident that the uranium sold was used for peaceful means as the technology used to make nuclear weapons was very complex and not many countries had this technology. He also agreed that the campaign against dumping, should be accelerated.

Ms. Mahomed (ANC) asked what NGO commitment there was on this subject. Mr. Pahad said that he was not aware of the NGO commitment. He did however know that in the development of the PBNR NGOs were consulted. He suggested that if the committee wanted more information, they should get the Ministry of Mineral and Energy Affairs to address them.

Mr. Makanda (UDM) wanted know whether South Africa sells uranium to the big five industrialised nations. Mr. Pahad stated that he was not sure, but that it was possible.

Mr. Ramgobin (ANC) stated that South Africa might seem to be idealists in this matter if disarmament. We however should not let this stand in our way and continue to fight for this. He reminded members that for many years a democratic South Africa was also an ideal and it has become a reality.

Dr. Jordan thanked Mr. Pahad for briefing the committee and then adjourned the meeting.