Dismantling
South African forces feared the threat of a "domino effect" in favour of Communism, represented in southern Africa by Cuban proxy forces in Angola and threatening Namibia. In 1988 South Africa signed the Tripartite Accord with Cuba and Angola, which led to the withdrawal of South African and Cuban troops from Angola and independence for Namibia.
The pre-emptive elimination of nuclear weapons would "make a 'significant contribution...toward peace, stability and progress,'" improving South Africa's relations with and restoring their credibility in regional and international politics.
South Africa stood down its nuclear weapons programme in 1989. All the bombs (six constructed and one under construction) were dismantled and South Africa acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty when South African Ambassador to the United States Harry Schwarz signed the treaty in 1991. On 19 August 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 programme 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 also signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996 and ratified it in 1999.
The Treaty of Pelindaba came into effect on 15 July 2009 once it had been ratified by 28 countries. This treaty requires that parties will not engage in the research, development, manufacture, stockpiling acquisition, testing, possession, control or stationing of nuclear explosive devices in the territory of parties to the Treaty and the dumping of radioactive wastes in the African zone by Treaty parties. The African Commission on Nuclear Energy, in order to verify compliance with the treaty, has been established and will be headquartered in South Africa.
| Year | Activity |
|---|---|
| 1950s and 1960s | Scientific work on the feasibility of peaceful nuclear explosives and support to nuclear power production efforts |
| 1969 | Atomic Energy Board forms group to evaluate technical and economic aspects of nuclear explosives |
| 1970 | Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) releases report identifying uses for nuclear explosives |
| 1971 | R&D approval granted for "peaceful use of nuclear explosives" |
| 1973 | AEC prioritises work on a gun-type design |
| 1974 | Work on a nuclear device and the Vastrap test site are authorised |
| 1977 | AEC completes bomb assembly for "cold" test |
| 1978 | First HEU produced; Armscor assumes control of weapons programme |
| 1979 | Vela incident; First bomb with HEU core produced by AEC |
| 1982 | First deliverable bomb built; work on weapons safety |
| 1985 | Three-phase nuclear strategy reviewed |
| 1987 | First production bomb built; seven produced, with an eighth under construction |
| 1988 | Armscor prepares Vastrap for a nuclear test |
| 1989 | Nuclear weapons dismantled |
| 1991 | Accedes to NPT |
Read more about this topic: South Africa And Weapons Of Mass Destruction