Johannsburg - The South African government recently sold defence force weapons worth R2.25 million to Zimbabwe, Beeld newspaper reported on Monday.
This was revealed in the latest quarterly report of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC).
According to the committee's report for the period 1 April to 30 June, the government approved contracts worth R2.8 billion during this time.
Contracts with 50 countries were signed, among them India, Gabon, the USA and China.
Justice Minister and chairman of the NCACC, Jeff Radebe, said in 2011 that the government would not approve permits for the sale of weapons to countries with “political complications”.
This included Gabon, Syria, Yemen and Zimbabwe, Radebe said.
According to the report, the weapons sold to Zimbabwe fall mainly into the C category, which consists mainly of support equipment like teargas.
“There has been a de facto embargo on the export of weapons to Zimbabwe for more than a decade,” said DA MP David Maynier.
Radebe's spokesman, Mthunzi Mhaga, did not respond to queries from Beeld. - Sapa