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The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes that Jeff Radebe, Chairperson of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), and Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry, must urgently investigate allegations of sanctions busting involving Iran.

This weekend the Sunday Times reported that Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe’s partner, Gugu Mtshali, was allegedly implicated in soliciting a “bribe” to obtain support for a sanctions-busting deal with Iran.

There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe was involved.

However, Deputy President Motlanthe did the right thing requesting the Public Protector to investigate the allegations of bribery against his partner, Gugu Mtshali.

The fact is that, if the reports are correct, Gugu Mtshali’s business activities risk jeopardising the integrity of the highest office in South Africa.

The newspaper also reported that a company, Aviation 360, had set up a network of front companies to supply Iran with:

a Bell 212 helicopter, which was exported to Iran in 2009 through Gemini Moon 477, a South African front company;
three Airbus A300 aircraft, which were exported to Iran in 2009 through Tigris International, a South African front company; and
Bell 212 helicopter parts, pending a deal worth R2 million.

The helicopter parts could reportedly be used in attack helicopters operated by the military in Iran.

All these deals must be investigated.

However, it is imperative that the pending deal to export the helicopter parts is not only investigated, but stopped.

Exporting helicopter parts that could be used to support attack helicopters, operated by the military in Iran, would be a violation of the United Nations Security Council arms embargo against Iran.

Moreover, the role played by the Department of Trade and Industry in providing “letters of support”, which facilitated the sanctions-busting deals with Iran, also needs to be investigated urgently.

These deals were reportedly made possible by letters of support, furnished to Aviation 360 by the Department.

The letters of support for Aviation 360, which were issued in 2008 and 2011, clearly state that the “South African government welcomes expanding trade and investment relations with the Islamic Republic of Teheran”.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will therefore:

write to NCACC chairperson Jeff Radebe requesting him to authorise an investigation by the NCACC’s inspectorate into the various deals and to stop the pending deal to export helicopter parts to Iran; and
write to Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies requesting him to authorise an investigation into the issuing of letters of support, which were allegedly used not only to solicit “bribes”, but also to facilitate sanctions-busting deals with Iran.

This is not the first time questions have been raised about sanctions busting involving Iran.

There are have been other cases in the past.

These include the export of a fast boat, the “Bradstone Challenger”, and an attempt to export aviator G-suits to Iran in 2009.

We cannot allow South Africa to become a conduit for the export of “dual-use goods” to Iran.