South Africa Assists Iran?

On Friday and Saturday, high-ranking officials from South Africa, Malaysia and Cuba met with Iran’s foreign minister in Tehran to discuss the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

These three nations are members of the Non-Aligned Movement—in reality, friends of Iran. South Africa, in particular, plays an important role as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea) Board of Governors, giving support to Iran in its quest for nuclear capability.

While the saga of negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program continues—the latest compromise from the West being the proposal that Iran can convert uranium into uranium hexafluoride gas, but the enrichment process must take place in Russia—a relationship worth watching in this regard is that between Iran and South Africa.

Earlier this month, several conflicting statements came from both Tehran and Pretoria concerning an offer by South Africa to supply nuclear material and technology to Iran. Javad Vaidi, an official from Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reported that South Africa had offered to supply Iran with uranium oxide concentrate (or yellowcake) for the Islamic Republic to convert into uranium hexafluoride gas—which could then be used to produce the enriched uranium that fuels nuclear power stations—or the core of a nuclear bomb. According to Vaidi, South Africa went so far as to propose participation in the enrichment process itself.

Iran, however, quickly backtracked, claiming that Vaidi had been misquoted. South Africa followed suit. South Africa insists, rather, that it is seeking ” a diplomatic solution regarding the peaceful uses of nuclear energy by Iran.”

South Africa’s assistance to Iran, however, may go further than officials are willing to admit. Certainly it would be naive to simply swallow the official line. A close relationship between the two nations has been developing for over a decade. The timing of some recent events is interesting to consider.

Last month, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, visited South Africa for talks on Iran’s nuclear program. This visit—along with the supposed South African proposal—came shortly after Iran approved a resolution on November 5 allowing for the involvement of foreign countries in its uranium enrichment program.

Also in November, Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the iaea, named South Africa as one of the third parties endeavoring to broker a deal between Iran and the West. Just how impartial South Africa is in this role, however, is debatable. In September, South Africa confirmed where its sympathies lie when it abstained from the iaea vote that condemned Iran for non-compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty—giving the reason that more time was needed for dialogue and negotiation.

Iran, the prime terrorist-sponsoring state in the world, has largely been shunned by the West. South Africa, however, since the induction of its communist-leaning, terrorist-connected African National Congress (anc) leadership in 1994, has nurtured a mutually beneficial relationship with Tehran—despite objections from America. In fact, Iran developed ties with the anc/sacp (South African Communist Party) long before the anc ever came to power. This support received from Iran is what prompted former President Nelson Mandela to state: “We should not abandon those who helped us in the darkest hour in the history of this country.”

South Africa’s appreciation has been manifested ever since in the political, economic and military arenas. Iran also happens to be one of South Africa’s major trading partners.

The strengthening of the relationship between Iran and South Africa was demonstrated just last week when South Africa’s ambassador to Iran announced that his country intends to invest in Iran’s mining industry. Also under discussion is expansion of economic cooperation and transfer of advanced technology and equipment. Indeed, the diplomat confirmed that South Africa has “already invested in transfer of mines extraction technology to various mines in Iran” (Iran News Agency, November 10). The first economic secretary of the embassy “predicted a growing trend of cooperation for such investments in the field of mines, energy and polymers during Iran’s five-year plan” (ibid.).

In April, the two nations discussed the expansion of banking ties between them, with the Iranian ambassador to South Africa saying that “banking ties are suitable grounds for bolstering economic ties” and also a “serious step for boosting industrial and trade cooperation” (irna, April 13). The envoy confirmed that the two nations “have enjoyed closer political and trade ties since … 1994” (ibid.).

South Africa’s self-interest in its relationship with Iran was shown by a statement its ambassador made last week regarding the possibility of sanctions being imposed on Iran by the United Nations Security Council, saying that such a move “would leave its negative impact upon South Africa’s various investments in the country.” What’s more, Iran is one of South Africa’s main oil suppliers—a good bargaining chip for Tehran.

Military cooperation too is not unprecedented. When the West ostracized Iran for its terrorist activity, South Africa clandestinely worked with Tehran in the military and technology fields. Back in 1997, the Jerusalem Post ran a story exposing Iran’s negotiations with Nelson Mandela’s government on the purchase of “the portable elements and the technological know-how from South Africa’s nuclear program” (Dec. 11, 1997).

As Iran—with it new hard-line leader propelling the country forward to new levels of belligerency—determines to expand its regional and global influence using any means at its disposal, including the development of nuclear weapons capability, we can expect it to avail itself of any help it can. South Africa’s government is indebted to Iran for its support of the rebel anc group during South Africa’s apartheid era. It has the technology and raw materials that Iran wants. Now, as former President P.W. Botha once told the Trumpet, “The anc’s terrorist bedfellows are calling in their debts.”

As we stated in our February 1998 Trumpet, “There can be no doubt that Iran aspires to become a nuclear power. How ironic that the process may be hastened by the acquisition of technology developed by confirmed enemy Israel, in consortium with South Africa, during the apartheid years.”

Whatever the validity of the statements and retractions made in recent weeks by South Africa and Iran, their relationship is one to watch.