The University of Stellenbosch's satellite systems programme, which has developed a space camera which has enabled a South Korean satellite to take pictures of parts of America, has criticised government's R60 billion arms deal because it has no "space reconnaissance (spying) capability".

Garth Milne, the university's professor of satellite systems, said during the pre-1994 era the then apartheid government had invested about $1bn in developing the country's satellite technology, including launch vehicles and test ranges.

Milne said the present government was in the process of spending R60bn on an armaments programme which had "no space reconnaissance capability for forces". About 0.1% of the arms deal package would have been enough to achieve this satellite-based technology for the government.

With acknowledgement to Ashley Smith and the Cape Times