Government to End Arms Sales Secrecy

The government said it will end secrecy surrounding arms deals with other countries, sweeping away the cloak-and-dagger approach of the apartheid era. Kader Asmal, chairman of the state arms control committee, said the Cabinet had agreed to proposals to provide maximum public disclosure. Under the new regulations, disclosure would include the total value of a contract, a description of items, the date of export and details of any counter-trade arrangements. But disclosure of the name of the country buying arms could be withheld at the discretion of the committee, Asmal said.