Why was there an arms deal? – Newly democratic South Africa decided its military needed to be overhauled – and five years after coming into power following the end of white minority rule, the African National Congress (ANC) government signed contracts totally 30bn rand ($5bn; £3bn in 1999).
The deal involved companies from Germany, Italy, Sweden, Britain, France and South Africa.
Update on current situation:
The arms deal has most recently been in the news as Jacob Zuma is currently fending off corruption charges related to it. His legal team has applied for a permanent stay of prosecution in his corruption trial in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg.
Together with his co-accused, French arms dealer Thales, Zuma is attempting to stave off attempts to face trial for 783 questionable payments he allegedly received improperly in exchange for saying he would protect the company from possible future criminal prosecution.<
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