SOUTH-AFRICA NEW ARMS EXPORT CONTROL POLICY - A POSTAPARTHEID APPROACH

On August 30, 1995, the South African cabinet approved an interim arms export control policy, which provides for a ministerial controlling b ody, criteria principles, and guidelines and a processing structure un der the Secretary for Defence for the approval of applications for con ventional arms transfers. The main purpose of the policy is to ensure that South Africa's practices in this regard conform to internationall y accepted norms and standards. Although occasional controversies, suc h as that which emerged in January 1997 in relation to Syria, have rev ealed underlying problems and fundamental differences of opinion, thes e conventional arms control procedures appear to be working effectivel y in a technical and routine sense.