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Thoughts on the Future of the South African Armaments Industry
INTRODUCTION
The political negotiations process has by its very nature exposed many of the secrets of Apartheid South Africa which were concealed for many decades. This is particularly true of the security establishment. On a weekly basis there is some or other exposure of security force involvement in covert activities to suppress and destroy any opposition to the Apartheid State. Of late there has been considerable media coverage of illegal and covert dealings within the arms industry (Sunday Times, 30 August 1992). This in turn has brought to the fore the debate re the future of the arms industry in a democratic South Africa. It should also be noted that this issue is also part of a wider debate on the future of the security forces in South Africa with particular reference to the armed forces.
An additional element which has impacted on the debate is the issue of defence cutbacks. It has been a bitter pill for racist South Africa to swallow, but the reality is that the balance of politico-military forces has altered within the Southern African region. South Africa no longer enjoys the hegemony of power within the region and geo-political changes have necessitated a change in view by the Apartheid State of the traditional threat to White South Africa. Coupled with this has been severe economic problems and the continuing struggle for democracy within the borders of South Africa.
The end result of this has been the realisation on the part of the South African Government that it has no choice but to reduce defence spending significantly.
THE ARMS INDUSTRY
Apartheid has from its inception created structures which were intended to prolong minority rule and a divided society. Rejected by the overwhelming majority of people within South Africa and isolated by the International Community as a 'crime against humanity', the Apartheid State developed a sophisticated infrastructure in order to combat the 'total onslaught'.
The overall effect of this, albeit warped, ideology was the extreme militarisation of South African society. A critical and vital element of this process of militarisation was the emergence of a highly developed arms industry (the fifth largest in the world) at the centre of which was ARMSCOR - the South African Governments arms procurement and manufacturing corporation.
Armscor has historically been clouded in intrigue and secrecy and it is only recently that some light has been shed on its activities and sanctions busting techniques.
The primary objective of Armscor was to develop a long term military self-sufficiency based on modernisation of existing weapons systems and its own local conventional and other capability.
Armscor consisted of nine subsidiaries and 975 sub-contracting companies. At its height Armscor employed 33 000 personnel and sustained a further 100 000 jobs in the private sector. In 1988 Armscor's' turnover was approximately R3 billion and it accounted for over 50% of the defence budget for 1980/81. (Jacklyn Cock, Rocks, snakes and South Africa's arms industry, unpublished paper, no date))
The arms industry also played a significant role in the national economy and by 1989/90 it was the largest exporter of manufactured goods and the third largest overall exporter, surpassed only by minerals and agricultural exports (The Star, 16 September 1992).
The most important development recently in relation to the arms industry was the conversion from developing only military equipment to manufacturing commercial items for civilian use. The practical realisation of this process was the creation of the Denel group of companies from existing Armscor subsidiaries. Whilst Armscor will remain the State's procurement arm, Denel will be responsible for the manufacture of armaments as well as civilian products.
The arms industry has played a significant role not only in the process of militarising South Africa but also in terms of its impact on the economy. One point that has to be acknowledged is that Government spending on defence and security (the arms industry being a significant recipient) has been at the expense of the well-being of the majority of South Africa's people.
THE ARMS INDSUTRY IN A FUTURE DEMOCRATIC SOUTH AFRICA
Presently there are a number of issues which are shaping the debate in relation to the future of the arms industry. It is necessary to identify some of these issues in order to develop a framework for determining the context and ultimate fate of the arms industry in South Africa. It will also highlight the diversity of views as regards the debate and reveal the extent of vested interests in either retaining the military industrial complex or not. It must also be noted that the debate is an extremely politicised one given the nature of South African society and the history of conflict.
There are essentially three perspectives as regards the future of the arms industry:
- To maintain and further develop the existing arms industry in order to retain a strong defence capability and to compete on the international market. This argument does not take into account the issue of the political and moral legitimacy of the arms industry. In addition it ignores the very real problems of socio-economic reconstruction necessary if the transition to democracy is to be successful.
- To do away with the arms industry either totally or to drastically reduce the capability of the arms industry and confine it to providing in a limited way for the defence needs of a future democracy. This position is deeply rooted in the moral and political argument for the total demilitarisation of society. It also views the allocation of resources for socio-economic reconstruction and the needs of the majority as the priority for any future democratic government.
- To maintain and develop the arms industry in as far as it will provide for future defence needs whilst simultaneously concentrating on utilising the arms industry to contribute effectively to developing the national economy. This position is based on striking a balance between the morality of the arms industry and the contribution it can make to socio-economic development and transformation.
A future democratic Government will of necessity have to develop a policy defining the future of the South African arms industry. What is also essential is to ensure that the debate does not become clouded by unrealistic arguments negating the existence of a highly developed and sophisticated industry which can be used effectively in the rejuvenation of the South African economy. The most realistic and feasible option for a democratic State would be to opt for the balanced approach, i.e. to not ignore the moral issue and recognise the negative role the South African arms industry has played historically in the oppression of the majority, whilst recognising that the technical and scientific capabilities developed by the existing arms industry can be utilised constructively in both the defence of the future democracy as well as the transformation of the national economy to meet the needs of the majority of the population.
A NEW APPROACH TO SECURITY
There have been significant changes in the military and political balance of forces internationally. The end of the Cold War has resulted in the re-alignment of forces and the total hegemony of imperialism (in particular the United States of America) over the oppressed and exploited developing countries.
Within the Southern African region the effects of this change in the balance of forces internationally has manifested itself as well. Far from the notion that the world has become a safer place to live in, in reality the plight of the Third World has intensified and the imperialists have moved rapidly to consolidate their power within Africa, Asia, Latin and South America.
A fundamental flaw in the dominant definitions of security is that the issue is confined to a purely military one. This position inevitably restricts itself to finding military solutions to security problems. A critical issue facing the developing World presently and indeed the entire human race is to find solutions to economic under-development, a safe environment, demilitarisation and to ensure the well-being of the World's population. If solutions are not found to address these major issues they will become the greatest threat to the future security of the entire World community. It is precisely because for so long the security of a country was seen primarily in military terms that the World has witnessed so many regional and internal conflicts. This is also why in South Africa security was viewed as a threat to the interests of the White minority and not as a problem associated with the economic deprivation of the majority of the population, hence the extreme militarisation of this society at the expense of socio-economic development of all the people.
South Africa has the potential of playing a significant role in the transformation of the entire Southern African region. It can provide the motor for generating the economic revival of the region which is so desperately needed, but it can only do so if it fundamentally alters its approach to issues such as economic co-operation, regional security and peaceful co-existence.
The possibility of a successful transition to a democratic future will also inevitably result in a new philosophy and doctrine of defence and security based on democratic principles. This will determine the extent to which a future arms industry will exist as an integral component of the security establishment and the national economy. The most realistic approach would be to maintain the arms industry in order to ensure a capable and effective defence structure, whilst utilising the research and technological capability in order to further develop the industrial and manufacturing base. The technology developed over decades will be redirected to strengthening the national economy and infrastructure, particularly within the rural and least developed areas of South Africa.
The arms industry will exist in the future but operate within the context of accountability and the principle of transparency. The arms industry will also be subject to stringent control, checks and balances. It is also essential that the arms industry be under civilian control as opposed to military control as is the case presently.
CONCLUSION
In as much as the debate around the future of the arms industry is an important one, it must be noted that in the final analysis it will be determined by its impact on the transition to democracy. If the arms industry cannot contribute positively to the process of transition and becomes an impediment, it will inevitably die a natural death. If the industry can contribute positively to the transition to democracy by way of ensuring the defence capability of the future democracy and in addition impact positively on the national economy, it will remain a national asset for all the people of South Africa.
Finally, as an absolute prerequisite, if an arms industry is to exist at all in a future democratic South Africa, it must in no way be involved in developing a nuclear, biological or chemical weapons capability. South Africa must be in the forefront of the struggle to make the African continent a nuclear, chemical and biological weapons free zone and by way of example deny itself the ability to produce these weapons.
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