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The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that Jeff Radebe, Chairperson of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), should immediately authorise an investigation into reports that former President of Madagascar, Marc Ravalomanana, used South Africa as a transit point to import Chinese-supplied riot control gear prior to the 2009 coup in that country..

Extracts from a United States State Department diplomatic cable, dated 04 March 2009, reports the following:

“Recognizing that his security forces lacked proper riot control gear, the President [Marc Ravalomanana] has embarked on a buying spree of riot control gear from suppliers in China, using South Africa as a transit point. On at least two separate occasions, confirmed by RSO airport police contacts, the President has utilized his company's privately owned aircraft, a ATR 42-320 registration #5R-MJT and affectionately named TIKO Air, to fly to South Africa to pick up much needed riot control gear (shields, body armor, tear gas, rubber bullets, and uniforms) for his security forces. Bypassing the cumbersome customs bureaucracy, the aircraft arrives at Ivato International's military section where it is unloaded and hauled off by military trucks for their immediate deployment to the security forces making up the EMMO-Nat (Etat-Major Mixte Operationnel au Niveau National) units. Comment: EMMO-Nat forces are made up of Malagasy military elements, Gendarmerie, and National Police operating under a mixed command and used as a quick reaction force.”

The NCACC is required to authorise the transport of any conventional arms through or over our territory or territorial waters by issuing a conveyance permit. However, the NACACC’s 2009 annual report shows that no conveyance permits were issued. This suggests that former president Marc Ravalomanana’s attempt to import riot control gear, using South Africa as a transit point, may have been illegal.

This is not the only suspicious sale of conventional arms prior to the coup in Madagascar in 2009.

The NACC also authorised the sale of R2 347 000 worth of riot control equipment to Madagascar in 2009. The arms deal was authorised in record time and on an ad hoc basis by the NCACC. The riot control gear appears to have been exported to military or paramilitary forces just prior to the coup in Madagascar. There was therefore a high probability that the riot control gear would be used for internal repression. The fact is that the NCACC should never have authorised the export of riot control equipment to Madagascar.

I will therefore be writing to Jeff Radebe, Chairperson of the NCACC, requesting that the NCACC’s inspectorate investigates:

Reports that former president Marc Ravalomanana possibly illegally used South Africa as a transit point to import Chinese-supplied riot control gear prior to the 2009 coup in Madagascar; and
that the NACC itself possibly illegally authorised the sale of R2 347 000 worth of riot control equipment prior to the 2009 coup in Madagascar.

We cannot sit back and allow South Africa to become the armoury of repressive regimes in Southern Africa.