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Arms deal goes ahead

    JOHANNESBURG

    Cabinet has approved plans to modernise South Africa's military under a complex deal aimed at boosting local industry, Defence Minister Patrick Lekota announced in parliament on Wednesday.

    Lekota later told reporters the original shopping list had been trimmed and the price tag slashed from around US $5 billion to US $3.55 billion. However, the government had the option to buy further equipment worth US $1.4 billion, he added.

    Under the revised list, Lekota said, South Africa would buy nine Gripen fighter jets and 12 Hawk fighter trainers from SAAB-British Aerospace, with an option to buy another 12 Hawks and 19 Gripens; 30 light helicopters from Italian company Agusta; three submarines from the German Submarine Consortium; and four Corvette patrol boats from the German Frigate Consortium, AFP reported.

    The arms purchases are linked to controversial industrial participation programmes which are hoped to yield billions of dollars for the South African economy in investment and development.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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