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Officials from the International Atomic Agency may soon be able to inspect
South Africa’s nuclear sites. South African President F. W. de Klerk announced
last week that his country would sign the nuclear nonproliferation treaty,
and arrangements for the IAEA’s inspections should be worked out by September.

The IAEA is particularly interested in South Africa’s facilities for
enriching uranium. According to Leonard Spector of the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace, South Africa could have stockpiled more than a
100 kilograms of highly enriched uranium. He warned that South Africa could
hide some of its stockpile.

‘A few months ago, we might have said, well, US intelligence will pick
up any hidden material. But we missed some things in Iraq,’ he said.

Hans Blix, director general of the IAEA, called de Klerk’s statement
‘highly significant’.

South Africa’s public steps toward a renunciation of nuclear weapons
have sparked similar moves among its neighbours. Mozambique, Tanzania and
Zambia have announced their intention to sign the treaty. De Klerk’s announcement
may encourage Zimbabwe and An gola to join them, said Spector.

Despite much speculation and evidence of nuclear cooperation with Israel,
it is not known whether South Africa has built or tested a nuclear weapon.