Zim weapons ship waits for OK
2008-04-17 08:24
Erika Gibson and Gloria Edwards
Durban - South Africa approved a transit permit this week for the shipment of tons of weapons and ammunition destined for Zimbabwe.
A Chinese ship with almost three million rounds of ammunitions for small arms and AK-47s, about 3 500 mortars and mortar launchers, as well as 1 500 rockets for rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) arrived in Durban Harbour on Monday shortly before the permit was issued.
According to a copy that Beeld has of the ship's cargo documentation, it was finalised on April 1, three days after Zimbabwe's election.
It was not known when the order for the weapons had been placed.
An inspection by the South African customs authority deemed this consignment "risky" and further shipment was halted for the moment.
According to the South African Revenue Service (SARS), who are responsible for customs control, the six containers in which the weapons had been packed would be inspected by SARS and police officials on Thursday to determine whether they were, indeed, suspect.
'A question of morality'
Part of the shipment apparently also was destined for "clients" in South Africa.
Arms-control experts said on Wednesday that there was technically probably nothing wrong with the weapons transaction between China and Zimbabwe, nor with the issuing of the transport permit.
Guy Lamb of the Institute for Security Studies said: "It's not a question of illegality, but rather of morality, in light of the tense situation in Zimbabwe, especially if it was to contribute to the situation exploding."
The weapons were supposed to be transported by road from Durban to Harare.
Besides the transport permit issued by the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), a clearance permit from the explosives department of the police is still needed before the shipment can be released.
Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota and Minister of Provincial and Local Government Sydney Mufamadi, who is also the chairperson of the NCACC, or their directors-general usually issue these kinds of permits in consultation with the National Intelligence Service, the Secret Service and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Mufamadi is also part of President Thabo Mbeki's mediation team handling the election crisis in Zimbabwe.
Noseweek's Martin Welz brought the shipment's arrival to the media's attention on Wednesday.
The Transnet port authority confirmed that the Chinese ship, the An Yue Jiang, anchored in Durban harbour on Tuesday after they had allowed it access in terms of certain protocols.
Not in actual harbour yet
However, when customs personnel examined the ship's manifesto and the documentation specifying the cargo they found, in collaboration with the police, that the cargo was a "potential risk" because there was something wrong with the documents.
According to SARS, the ship was not in the harbour, but within the boundaries of the harbour.
The ship was due to enter the harbour on Thursday after which the containers would be opened and all the contents would be inspected.
If the SARS officials saw anything suspicious in the consignment it would be referred to the Foreign Affairs Department.
The law consequently would determine if the ship or the cargo should be seized.
Lamb said it was strange for a shipment of weapons for Zimbabwe to be sent via Durban because the Mozambican harbour town, Beira, had always been used for the shipment of Zimbabwe's military equipment which was then sent by train to Harare.
This route was the shortest, fastest route from a port to Harare.
SA playing neutral role
Lamb said the shipment's timing was reason for great concern and one which the South African authorities needed to consider.
He thought that the debacle potentially could badly undermine the mediation process in Zimbabwe, in which South Africa was supposed to play a cardinal, neutral role.
The ministries of defence and foreign affairs referred all enquiries to Mufamadi's office, but no comment was available at the time of going to press.