the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
the rollback of south africa's biological warfare program
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government supported institutions. Much <strong>of</strong> this research was conducted under<br />
<strong>the</strong> umbrella <strong>of</strong> CSIR.<br />
In 1960, Dr. Joynt helped start a new phase <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> chemical <strong>warfare</strong> (CW)<br />
<strong>program</strong>, when he corrected a problem with tear gas that was needed to control<br />
riots and to deal with militants hiding in <strong>the</strong> bush. In <strong>the</strong> 1960 Pondoland<br />
uprising in Transkei, tear gas was extensively used. That same year, Dr. Joynt<br />
was sent for a nuclear, <strong>biological</strong> and chemical (NBC) <strong>warfare</strong> course in <strong>the</strong><br />
United Kingdom. In <strong>the</strong> 1960s, CSIR continued to work on tear gas and on CX<br />
powder for tracking. Dr. Joynt fitted Cessnas for <strong>the</strong> army, which would be<br />
used in spreading CX powder. In <strong>the</strong> mid-1960s, CSIR worked on mustard gas<br />
and on gas masks to replace <strong>the</strong> World War II-vintage masks <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> SADF.<br />
The Egyptians had used chemical weapons in Yemen, 1962-67, and may have<br />
passed it on to <strong>the</strong> African National Congress (ANC). So, South African<br />
leaders realized <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> updating <strong>the</strong> CBW <strong>program</strong>. The EMAC<br />
(electrical, mechanical, agricultural, and chemical) Department worked on and<br />
innovated weapons, including chemical and <strong>biological</strong> agents during <strong>the</strong> 1960s<br />
and 1970s. 8<br />
In 1963, South Africa finally became a party to <strong>the</strong> 1925 Geneva<br />
Conventions, banning <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> chemical and <strong>biological</strong> weapons in <strong>warfare</strong>.<br />
South Africa’s late accession indicated that, for 40 years, <strong>the</strong> SADF was<br />
prepared to use chemical and <strong>biological</strong> agents in <strong>warfare</strong>. As will be<br />
demonstrated, South African accession did not deter apar<strong>the</strong>id leaders from<br />
developing a new and sophisticated CBW <strong>program</strong>.<br />
According to Dr. Joynt, in <strong>the</strong> early 1970s, SADF generals asked <strong>the</strong><br />
CSIR for “aggressive” chemical and <strong>biological</strong> <strong>warfare</strong> (CBW) agents and<br />
wanted a CBW industry started. Dr. Joynt’s superior, Wim de Villiers<br />
commented that Africa was not <strong>the</strong> kind <strong>of</strong> continent for CBW and that it was<br />
too “complex” and too expensive to develop. In 1974, de Villiers wrote a tenpage<br />
report, in which he gave a R500 million (more than $500 million in 1974<br />
4