Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)
In response to media queries about the apartheid regime's Chemical and biological Weapons (CBW) Programme, Government wishes to clarify that this programme has been terminated, and that the material for offensive purposes in government storage has been destroyed.
This was done in co-operation with countries which possess expertise in matters relating to these programmes; and in full compliance with relevant international treaties.
The South African government, elected by, and accountable to, the people of South Africa; and whose foreign policy is premised on friendly, humane and peaceful engagement with other nations, does not have any interest in developing weapons of mass destruction, least of all offensive chemical and biological weapons.
The government is also committed to ensuring that the knowledge and expertise gathered in this area should, under no circumstances, become available to any other country, individual or companies. It is in this respect, because of its determination to ensure that our country does not become a source for the proliferation of these terrible weapons of truly mass destruction, that the Government approached the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to ensure that the hearings on the CBW programme are conducted in such a way that they do not lead to any proliferation, accidental or otherwise, of these weapons.
We are complying wit the decision of the TRC on this matter, and shall continue monitoring the hearings to ensure that this principle is not violated.
We wish to assure the nation and the international community that the information on the country's CBW defensive capacity is, as allowed by the international treaties, safely kept under lock and key. The transfer of the keys from the previous government and its agencies has taken place.
Government is fully supportive of the hearings by the TRC to determine the extent to which the offensive CBW weapons were used in South Africa and abroad, the people who knew about these programmes, as well as the fate of the material which was passed on to operatives of the previous regime.
This government is as outraged by the on-going revelations, and as interested in answers to these questions as the people of our country and the rest of humanity are.
15 June 1998
For further enquiries, contact: Joel Netshitenzhe 082-900-0083