NCACC misses deadline for tabling its annual report

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The National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), chaired by Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe, has missed the deadline for tabling its annual report in Parliament.

The committee has a history of missing deadlines for its quarterly reports but has, by and large, been on time with annual reports DA shadow defence and military veterans minister, David Maynier, said.

The latest report will be the first to contain more detailed information about conventional arms sales by South African companies to foreign countries. This undertaking was given to Maynier by Radebe last month.

Until now reports have contained only information relating to the category and vale of all conventional arms sales. Maynier said the reports should have reflected information as to the country, type, description, quantity and value of arms sales.
“Given that, in the past, there have been several dodgy conventional arms sales authorised by the NCACC it is imperative its 2013 annual report be tabled,” Maynier said.

In addition to wanting to know from Radebe why the deadline was missed, Maynier also wants to know when the latest NCACC annual report will make it to Parliament and what action, if any, will be taken against people found to be responsible for the document’s delay.

As an example of why he is insistent on seeing the NCACC report Maynier said the “enhanced report”, containing more detailed information on conventional arms sales, would boost Parliament’s capacity to conduct proper oversight.

This he illustrated with what he termed the controversial sale of armoured combat vehicles to Equatorial Guinea.
“It would have been reported in the NCACC’s 2013 fourth quarterly report as a Category C sale with a ZAR value of 42 300 000 to Equatorial Guinea. That’s all.
“With the enhanced reporting requirements the transaction would have been reported as armoured combat vehicles, mine protected Reva lll (nine vehicles) and Reva lV (three vehicles) sold to Equatorial Guinea with the value of each also given.
“Previously, we would never have known the transaction between South Africa and Equatorial Guinean involved 12 Reva armoured combat vehicles,” Maynier said calling it “a major step forward for transparency on conventional arms sales from South Africa”.