Q&A’s, 2007

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Question for Written Reply
IQP: 36-2007

Question 1578

Mr C M Lowe (DA) to ask the Minister for Public Enterprises:

(1) (a) What was the exact nature of the ammunition stolen from Denel in Swartklip, (b) what was the batch number and (c) what number of units was stolen;

(2) whether an investigation into this theft is currently underway; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply

(1) The items stolen from Denel’s premises in Philippi (former Swartklip) were smoke grenades, i.e. non-lethal grenades. A quantity of these were the hand-held type, designed to throw by hand (which probably explains the confusion in the media with ‘hand grenades’ that are usually lethal items). The remaining items were rifle grenades, which are also smoke grenades, but these are designed to be fired over a longer distance using a military rifle.

Thirty-six (36) hand-held smoke grenades and three (3) rifle smoke grenades were stolen.

(2) An investigation has been initiated and is still ongoing. This is at a sensitive stage and details can therefore not be provided as yet.