The Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF) Member of Parliament, Carl Niehaus, has levelled serious accusations against the South African government for allegedly allowing the export of unlicensed drones and military equipment to the conflict-ridden Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
These startling claims emerged during a virtual meeting of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on November 29, where Niehaus raised concerns regarding the country’s Aerospace Maritime Defence Industries Association’s clandestine operations.
Niehaus specifically cited the shipping of two unmanned drones, reportedly still in the research and development phase and lacking the necessary operational certification.
These allegations flow from a letter he submitted to the committee, which highlighted the risks of such actions against South Africa’s standing in international law and human rights practices.
During his address, Niehaus focused on the role of the South African Aerospace Maritime Defence Industries Association and the Department of Defence.
He accused them of permitting the illegal export of military equipment, asserting that any misstep with the use of these unmanned drones could potentially lead to civilian casualties and violations of international law.
“I have raised serious concerns about the illegal flying of advanced weaponry out of our country without the necessary export permits,” Niehaus said in his correspondence with the committee’s co-chairpersons, Malusi Gigaba and Phiroane Anthony Phala.
The implications are deeply troubling, he emphasised, given the ongoing turmoil in the DRC, where the use of untested military drones could escalate the humanitarian crisis.
Niehaus’ cries come amid a three-year-old war in the eastern DRC, which has been embroiled in an armed conflict between the army and the M23 rebel group that has killed hundreds of people and displaced nearly two million.
Reports indicate that M23 was first formed after a mutiny within the Congolese national army (FARDC) in 2012. Although the initial rebellion was crushed, the group took up arms against the army and allied “Wazalendo” armed groups again in 2022, resulting in the seizure of the territory in the North Kivu province.
Further aggravating the situation, Niehaus implicated the Cobra Aviation Group, based in Kempton Park, as a key player in this illicit arms trade with the DRC.
“The information at my disposal implicates, among others, the Cobra Aviation Group. As I have stated during the meeting of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, this is indeed a very disconcerting situation,” he cautioned.
He warned of dire consequences if these uncertified drones were to inflict harm on innocent civilians, potentially placing South Africa in breach of international laws and exposing the country to accusations of human rights violations or even war crimes.
These allegations raise significant concerns regarding the accountability of South Africa’s arms trade and its implications for national and international law.
As the country grapples with its defence industry’s practices, the role of surveillance and military equipment in conflict zones becomes an increasingly pressing issue, demanding transparency and adherence to ethical guidelines from both government agencies and private contractors.
Attempts to get comment from the committee were unsuccessful at the time of going to print, but spokesperson for the South African National of Defence, Simphiwe Dlamini said his department could not comment on the matter as that would fall under the portfolio committee’s responsibility.
“Please refer your questions to MP Niehaus directly or the chairperson of the committee as I am only responsible for matters pertaining to the Department of Defence.”
However, Javed Malik, CEO of the Cobra Aviation Group, refuted the allegations, labelling them as a big confusion as Cobra Aviation has no relations with the DRC.
“We have never sold any drones to the DRC. This is just a confusion and they are mixing up Cobra Aviation Group as we have never dealt with the DRC. We have nothing to do with this. Please speak directly to the people from DRC or SADC because this has nothing to do with us. It is just a big confusion,” Malik said.