South Africa and weapons of mass destruction

South Africa
Nuclear program start date	1967
First nuclear weapon test	Possible, 22 September 1979 (See Vela Incident)
First fusion weapon test	Unknown
Last nuclear test	Unknown
Largest yield test	Unknown
Total tests	Unknown
Peak stockpile	6
Current stockpile	None; the programme was voluntarily dismantled in 1989.
Maximum range	1,300 kilometres (810 mi) (English Electric Canberra)
NPT signatory	Yes

From the 1960s to the 1980s, South Africa pursued research into weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear,biological, and chemical weapons. Six nuclear weapons were assembled. Before the anticipated changeover to a majority-elected African National Congress government in the 1990s, the South African government dismantled all of its nuclear weapons, the first nation in the world which voluntarily gave up all nuclear arms it had developed itself.

The country has been a signatory of the Biological Weapons Convention since 1975, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons since 1991, and the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1995.

The Republic of South Africa's ambitions to develop nuclear weapons began in 1948 after giving commission to South African Atomic Energy Corporation (SAAEC), the forerunner corporation to oversee nation's uranium mining and industrial trade. In 1957, South Africa reached an understanding with the United States after signing a 50-year collaboration under the U.S.-sanctioned programme, the Atoms for Peace. The treaty concluded the South African acquisition of a single nuclear research reactor and an accompanying supply of the highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel, located in Pelindaba.

In 1965, the American subsidiary, the Allis-Chalmers Corporation, delivered the 20MW research nuclear reactor, SAFARI-1, along with ~90% HEU fuel to South African nuclear authority. In 1967, South Africa decided to pursue the plutonium capability and constructed its own reactor, SAFARI-2 reactor also at Pelindaba, that went critical using 606kg of 2% enriched uranium fuel, and 5.4 tonnes of heavy water, both supplied by the United States.

...
Wikipedia