Government is clearly keen to avoid further controversy over its arms purchases. But the decision to buy what could be up to 14 of new generation of military air transport plane, the A400M, could raise the same sort of suspicions that have arisen over the strategic arms package.

The cost of the latest deal is substantial, amounting to what could be about a quarter of the cost of the mammoth, and highly controversial arms package.

Yet, despite the significant cost and the competing need for social upliftment in SA, there has been no public consultation on this substantial expenditure of taxpayers' money. The decision shows a disregard for the process under way in Parliament, where the defence committee is considering changes to the basic documents that underlie SA's post-1994 defence posture.

In his call last week for the deal to be suspended, the Democratic Alliance's spokesman on defence, Rafeek Shah, has rightly asked if this contract was put out to tender? And if not, why not?

Government's claim that there does not need to be a tender on the purchase because it is a special deal involving a South African participation in the entire programme of developing the aircraft and there are no other equivalent planes that are planned does not answer the question of why there was no tender.

We do not question the need to replace SA's fleet on nine C130 Hercules transporters. They are old and need replacing. The country also needs greater airlift capacity. But that cannot justify the secrecy surrounding the decision.

In the more than six months since Airbus offered the South African government a stake in the entire A400M programme in return for the purchase of eight or more planes, government has been virtually silent on the matter. In those six months, government could have put this issue before Parliament at the very least. Certainly the defence committee should have discussed the issue at length.

But it seems decisions on SA's arms procurement are now made by stealth. The offset programme linked to the strategic arms package is hopelessly secretive.

But government should not be allowed to get away with such secrecy. The public must also be kept in the loop on the terms of the deal being negotiated and the details of the benefits SA will earn from this venture. There's a lot of money in play here, and there is bound to be as much controversy. Transparency is urgently required.

With acknowledgement to the Business Day.