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South Africa was the first state in the world to give up its nuclear weapons capability voluntarily. When South Africa dismantled its advanced, but clandestine, nuclear weapons program and assumed a leading role in the nonproliferation regime, it was in anticipation of the country's immense political changes. The then President F.W. de Klerk's decision in 1990 to dismantle the apartheid system paved the way for democratic elections. All the bombs (six constructed and one under construction) were destroyed and South Africa acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1991. In 1993 F.W. de Klerk admitted the scope of the country's past nuclear activities to the IAEA and gave them access to the country's nuclear sites for verification purposes. On August 19, 1994, after completing its inspection, the IAEA confirmed that one partially-completed and six fully-completed nuclear weapons had been dismantled. As a result, the IAEA was satisfied that South Africa's nuclear program had been converted to peaceful applications. Following this, South Africa joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as a full member on 5 April 1995. South Africa played a leading role in the establishment of the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty (the Treaty of Pelindaba) in 1996, becoming one of the first members in 1997. South Africa signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996 and ratified it in 1999.
(my emphasis)

Am I being asinine by assuming the motivation of giving up the nuclear weapons was not to hand them over to the blacks?

Can the last politician to go out the revolving door please turn the lights off?

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Jun 23rd, 2007 at 01:54:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]
During the Boer war didn't Britian refuse to give guns to the blacks?

We are for Justice and Mercy, and Truth and Peace, and true Freedom. Edward Burroughs 1659
by edwin on Sun Jun 24th, 2007 at 08:52:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]
No, it's not asinine; that's widely acknowledged to be exactly the reason.

The ANC didn't argue to keep them because they had been anti-nuke anyway.  They didn't want to be a nuclear power.

by the stormy present (stormypresent aaaaaaat gmail etc) on Sun Jun 24th, 2007 at 03:45:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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