Nuclear Disarmament

During the 60s, 70s and 80s, South Africa invested very large into the research of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. Six nuclear weapons were assembled. Before the changeover to a majority-elected ANC government in the 1994, the South African government dismantled all of its nuclear weapons.

The RSA’s intentions to develop nuclear weapons began in 1948 when establishing the South African Atomic Energy Corporation. In 1957, South Africa reached an agreement with the United States after signing a 50-year collaboration program. The treaty provided South African with a single nuclear research reactor and a supply of the highly enriched uranium. In 1967 South Africa build another reactor.

South Africa began focusing on the success of its uranium enrichment program. Being able to mine uranium ore domestically, South Africa used enrichment techniques to produce weapons-grade material.

The South African Atomic Energy Board selected a test site in the Kalahari Desert at the Vastrap weapons range north of Upington. Two test shafts were completed in 1976 and 1977. Soviet intelligence detected the test preparations and in early August 1977 alerted the United States. U.S. intelligence confirmed the existence of the test site by the use of a spy plane.

The French foreign minister warned of "grave consequences" for French-South African relations. His statement implied that France was willing to cancel its contract to provide South Africa with the Koeberg nuclear power reactors. At that stage the French and the Israeli’s were about the only friends South Africa had.

In September 1979, a US satellite detected a double flash over the Indian Ocean. If this was a nuclear test then South Africa is the prime suspect. No official confirmation of it has been made by South Africa. In 1997, South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad admitted that South Africa had conducted such a test, but later retracted his statement again.

South Africa stood down its nuclear weapons program in 1989. All the bombs were dismantled. 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.

The technology was not lost to South Africa, merely shelved and we certainly have the ability to produce fissile material. Our government has a lot of ties with terrorist organisations and a lot of gratitude towards them.

Now Catfoot just wonder; what prevents… Oh, just shutup, Catfoot!

Read more:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vela_Incident