Rights group sues South African government over US arms exports

A South African human rights organization is challenging the government's decision to grant arms export permits to the United States. The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) has filed a lawsuit in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, seeking to suspend or revoke these permits. SALC argues that the arms transfers may not comply with South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Act.

The law requires authorities to deny permits if arms exports risk contributing to human rights violations or undermining international peace and security. SALC contends that ongoing exports to the U.S. might breach these standards, especially given the current global security climate. These allegations have yet to be tested in court.

The lawsuit names the chairperson of the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), the minister of defense, and the president of South Africa as respondents. The government had not publicly responded at the time of reporting. South Africa's arms export system is regulated by the NCACC, which assesses permits against domestic law and international obligations.

This legal challenge emerges amid broader diplomatic and trade differences between South Africa and the United States. While not directly about diplomatic relations, the case is situated within ongoing international debates on arms control and global security. South Africa authorized arms exports worth tens of millions of U.S. dollars to the United States in 2025. SALC had previously raised concerns about these permits but received no substantive response. The organization believes this is the first South African legal challenge against arms exports to a UN Security Council permanent member based on international law and human rights concerns, though this claim is unverified.

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The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) said in a news release issued on Tuesday that it has filed an application in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria seeking to suspend or set aside arms export permits granted by South Africa’s National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC).