FW stands by nuke statement

2004-04-03 10:09

Anesca Smith

Cape Town - Former president FW de Klerk on Friday stood by his 1993 announcement that South Africa had destroyed its nuclear weapons programme.

This Day newspaper reported on Thursday that certain explosive components of the programme were only destroyed in 1998 - five years after De Klerk's announcement in parliament.

It was quoting a former military ammunitions expert, Marius Barnard, who said that he received orders to destroy electronic reactors and detonators in 1998.

Barnard is currently working for the department of defence technology at the Council for Science and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria.

According to the report, Gert Enslin, Advena's former manager, confirmed that many items belonging to the programme had not been destroyed. This apparently in line with an accord South Africa signed in 1991 that allowed these items to be re-used under supervision.

De Klerk's spokesperson, Dave Steward, said on Friday that according to De Klerk, South Africa had complied with all the International Atomic Energy Agency's regulations.

Krygor supported De Klerk's statement.

Barnard was injured in May 1998 and four others were killed in an explosion while they were packing detonators into holes. The accident happened at an explosion sight at Mechem, a division of Denel.

Almost six years after the incident, a decision has still to be taken over who was responsible for the accident.

Denel refused to comment on Friday, because the case has not been finalised.

- Die Burger