PROJECT COAST: From humble beginnings, an SA weapons programme takes advantage of a growing chemical industry
In the last of this series, a turn-of-the-century South African dynamite company would become the foundation for a national biological and chemical weapons programme.
South Africa's history with explosives and chemicals led directly to the government's establishment of a biological and chemical weapons programme. As early as 1885, the Witwatersrand Gold Rush ignited a demand for domestic chemical and explosive production, with three major factories constructed to meet this need. By 1911, the explosives industry reigned supreme, providing South Africa with a foundation for chemical manufacturing.
The political climate, notably under the guidance of anti-communist Minister of Defence Oswald Pirow, further propelled the country's pursuit of chemical weapons. During World War II, South Africa received support from the British and the United States to develop mustard gas production capabilities. Upon the war's end, the expertise gained was retained through the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Applied Chemistry Unit.
These institutions would later be involved in the birth of Sasol, South Africa's private sector chemical industry, which sought to achieve energy self-sufficiency amidst global geopolitical isolation.
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