Pan Africanist Congress MP Patricia de Lille is to urge Parliament to support a judicial commission of inquiry into the government's controversial R24-billion arms acquisition process, after claims implicating top African National Congress politicians in corruption.
Njongonkulu Ndungane, the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, also repeated his call on Thursday for a full and public judicial investigation into the weapons acquisition and offset processes.
The latest claims - alleging that ANC MPs and officials have received kickbacks from rival arms manufacturers bidding for contracts - substantiated the need for the inquiry, he said.
"We do recognise the need for an adequately equipped professional defence force that is able and ready to protect and defend our country.
"However, mindful of the massive corruption relating to weapons procurements - as international experience has shown, as well as the Cameron Commission into Armscor - serious attention must be paid by government when dealing with these issues."
Ndungane repeated his earlier call for suitably qualified, independent observers to be employed by government, to assist them in monitoring all arms deals.
"Such a transparent process would enhance the moral high ground of our fledgling democracy and prevent the negative image that allegations such as these engender," he said.
De Lille said she would not be naming those implicated in corruption, as reported by some newspapers - but would call for a commission of inquiry.
She would also urge Cabinet to halt any further negotiations with regard to the weapons procurement programme, until a national consensus was reached.
The PAC MP was apparently petitioned byunnamed ANC MPs who oppose the arms deal.
An anonymous eight-pagedocument, signed "Concerned ANC MPs" addressed to De Lille, implicate not only senior ANC MPs but prominent defence analysts, parastatal bosses, politicians-turned-businessmen and former trade unionists.
The document claims that South African companies, interest groups, senior government officials and MPs who are involved in the arms deal are corrupting the democratic process in South Africa.
"It also appears that these companies, groups and individuals are using the arms deal to create and finance an economic and political centre within the ANC to undermine the President Thabo Mbeki," thedocument states.
Several arms consortiums from Germany, Italy, Britain and Sweden are vying for the lucrative arms deal and, as incentives, have covered certain offset benefits for South Africa.
The document alleges that some ANC politicians have taken kickbacks from these consortiums in return for their facilitation of the bids.
Among them is a senior MP, who apparently bought a luxury vehicle with money from one of the bidders.
Another government official, who apparently has links to a black empowerment company, is alleged to be frustrating the proposal by one bidder in favour of another.
The bidder has apparently offered three oil tankers, interest free, to the company should its proposal be accepted.
"If one looks at the changes taking place withthe Strategic Fuel Fund and the Central Energy Fund, one would see theimportance of the deal proposed ..." the document states.
The ANC was not immediately available for comment.
The United Democratic Movement, meanwhile, said the allegations were proof of the long-held perception "that government harboured a carefully-organised ring of comrades in corruption".
It urged the government to immediately institute forensic auditing of the accounts of ANC public representatives alleged to be involved in this saga.
It was also anopportune moment to test the commitment of the office of the director of public prosecutors to eradicate organised crime. - Sapa