Pretoria - Critics of the 1999 multi-billion-rand arms deal frantically tried to dissociate former president Nelson Mandela from the controversial acquisition, the Arms Procurement Commission heard on Monday.
“We all know that the president of the country was the late president Mandela. I know that many of the critics and whistle-blowers wish to divorce the late president Mandela from the acquisition process. The fact of the matter, and uncontradicted evidence, is that this happened under his watch,” said advocate Marumo Moerane, representing former president Thabo Mbeki.
Moerane read out an extract of Mandela’s February 1997 State of the Nation address to Parliament.
“Debate will continue this year on the white paper on the defence review. What is critical is to move towards practical implementation. One of the issues in this regard is the defence forces requirements for equipment. The question here is not whether, but how these requirements and how much the country can afford.”
“As commander-in-chief, I wish to emphasise that we shall not shake our responsibility to the defence forces,” Moerane quoted Mandela.
Moerane also represents former ministers Trevor Manuel and Alec Erwin.
In June last year, Manuel. the former finance minister, testified about Mandela’s connection to the controversial arms deal.
He quoted two State of the Nation addresses delivered by the statesman.
Mandela said in 1999: “We wish to assure members of our defence force that the nation is behind them in their endeavours. We remain committed as ever to equip the force in a manner that ensures its effectiveness and adds value to the economy.”
After reading this extract, Manuel said: “The message from Mandela was abundantly clear and I think we had a very clear mandate of re-equipping, about affordability, peace and security, and sending a very clear message.”
Manuel said that in November 1998 Cabinet decided to enter into negotiations with preferred bidders in the strategic defence procurement package (SDPP), known as the arms deal.
“That decision committed government to investing approximately R29,9 billion in the SDPP. The intention was that the special defence account of the defence department would carry the cost of the SDPP,” Manuel said.
“At a technical level, the force design, force levels, armaments, equipment, and related capacity issues were and continue to be the preserve of the defence force.”
He said the National Treasury, then under his guidance, had a constitutional obligation to ensure that the funding intended for the SDPP was affordable and budgeted for.
On Monday, Moerane said the critics of the mass military acquisition were making baseless, spurious allegations.
“We submit that this acquisition process addressed the transformation challenges of a new constitutional dispensation that was based on values of dignity, achievement of equality, advancement of human rights and achievement of non-racialism and the rule of law,” said Moerane.
“Notwithstanding all the above, the government and country became the target of a sustained and vicious attack over a period of more than 16 years. Fortunately, we have come to realise, through the rigorous details and far-reaching inquiry, that these attacks are malicious, spurious and have no factual basis.”
Moerane said his clients hoped that the inquiry led by Judge Willie Seriti would “finally lift the cloud of suspicion that has hovered over the country and government for so long”.
He said outspoken critics of the military purchase, particularly Terry Crawford-Browne, had a warped interpretation of the South African Constitution.
“We know that some avowed pacifists like Mr Crawford-Browne would rather have no defence force and all the revenue of this country be spent on socio-economic development. The instruction of the Constitution is that there has to be a defence force and its primary objective is to defend and protect the people of this country,” said Moerane.
He said the evidence of critics who had testified at the inquiry, including Cape Town Mayor Patricia De Lille, Crawford-Browne, former Scopa chairman Gavin Woods and losing bidder Dr Richard Young, “who appears to be the fons et orego of most of the allegations of corruption and impropriety that appear in seven books” should be rejected.
“They have propagated theories and hypothesis but have given very little by way of facts. Without laying any factual foundation, they have asked this commission to draw inferences from their theories and hypothesis.
“We shall respectfully submit that except where their evidence is confirmed by state actors and witnesses, their theories should not be accepted as having any credibility and validity,” said Moerane.
President Jacob Zuma appointed the commission of inquiry in 2011 to investigate alleged corruption in the multi-billion-rand deal.
Government acquired, among other hardware, 26 Gripen fighter aircraft, 24 Hawk lead-in fighter trainer aircraft for the air force, frigates and submarines for the navy.
Monday’s session was scheduled to be the final day of the commission’s public hearings. A report with the commission’s findings will be presented to Zuma.
ANA