Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes with profound concern Bloomberg reports that laser range-finding equipment manufactured by South African firm LightWare Optoelectronics has been recovered from Russian suicide drones used in the war against Ukraine.
This is deeply alarming. It threatens South Africa’s already fragile international standing, risks complicity in violations of international law, and shreds our claimed neutrality. It also raises hard questions about the integrity of our national arms-control regime, notably the performance of the Directorate: Conventional Arms Control (DCAC) and the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), and whether South African technology is being diverted into weapons systems that may be used to commit war crimes.
LightWare has stated its product is civilian and that any military use would be an illicit diversion. That assertion, even if accepted, does not absolve government.
Under the NCACC Act, authorities must enforce robust end-user controls, post-shipment verification, and, where necessary, refusals, suspensions, or cancellations. As a Wassenaar Arrangement participant, South Africa is also obliged to control dual-use goods, including optics and sensors, and prevent diversion through grey routes.
The DA will not allow this matter to vanish behind the veil of secrecy that too often hangs over the DCAC and NCACC. South Africans, and our international partners, deserve transparency and accountability.
The DA will pursue the publishing of the NCACC findings on the LightWare matter in a form fit for public and parliamentary scrutiny: the supply-chain path, end-user documentation, any red-flag intelligence, and the legal basis for decisions taken and the audit of dual-use exports since 2022 (optics/LiDAR/sensors): permits issued, end-user certificates, post-shipment checks, and all refusals/cancellations.
The DA is submitting urgent written questions to the Minister in the Presidency (the NCACC Chairperson) to obtain clear answers on:
The full findings of the NCACC/DCAC investigation into the LightWare-origin sensor(s) and the evidence trail of diversion.
Whether the entity involved was authorised to export dual-use goods; if not, what penalties will be pursued under the NCACC Act.
What remedial controls—including broker controls, resale restrictions, and routine post-delivery verification—will be implemented to prevent recurrence.
The appearance of South African-made components in a Russian attack drone is not just embarrassing; it is a national security and diplomatic failure.
The DA will continue to apply maximum pressure to ensure South Africa is not complicit, directly or indirectly, in atrocities in Ukraine. Publish the facts, enforce the law, and fix the system, now.
Regards
Chris Hattingh MP
DA Spokesperson on Defense and Military Veterans