|
|
|
Words
in the News |
|
INTRO
|
|
In
South Africa, public hearings are due to begin today (Monday, 28 May
2001) into a controversial 6 billion dollar arms deal. There have
been allegations of fraud and corruption surrounding the deal since
it was signed a year and a half ago. From Johannesburg, Nick Childs
reports. |
|
IN
FULL
|
|
 |
Listen
to the report in full |
|
 |
28th
May 2001
South
Africa Arms Deal
|
|
|
NEWS
1
|
|
|
Listen
to the first part of the report |
| |
|
Opinion
on these hearings is divided, just as it is over the whole arms
deal. Supporters say the public inquiry is a genuine effort to
provide some background and context to the controversial deal. Critics
say it'll be a whitewash that could undermine and prejudice
the three separate criminal investigations which are also underway.
Since the contract was signed at the end of 1999, its opponents have
accused senior officials of the governing African National Congress
of corruption. One of the allegations has involved the alleged
supply of luxury cars to senior officials. One of those in the
spotlight is the ANC's chief whip, Tony Yengeni. The government
of President Thabo Mbeki has been attacked for its handling
of the affair and its been accused of attempting a cover-up.
Its appeared increasingly on the defensive. Among the claims are that
it's sidelined the country's most effective investigation unit
in the probes which have been set up. |
| |
|
|
Listen
to the words |
|
WORDS
|
|
arms
deal: an agreement to sell or buy weapons, tanks, planes and
other types of military equipment.
whitewash: an attempt to hide unpleasant facts about something
undermine: if something is undermined then its ability
to do something is weakened
corruption: dishonesty and illegal behaviour (by people in positions
of power or authority)
in the spotlight: if you are in the spotlight then
you are
receiving a lot of public attention
attacked: (in this case) strongly criticised
cover-up: an attempt to hide a crime or mistake
sidelined: if you sideline someone, you make them
seem unimportant and stop them being included in what other people
are doing
probes: investigations
|
|
| NEWS
2 |
|
|
Listen
to the second part of the report |
| |
|
The
deal has become one of the most highly charged issues
facing President Mbeki's administration and has provided ammunition
for wider criticism of his leadership. The ANC has consistently
denied the allegations, and while there's been much heat, there's
been little actual light shed on the charges. But as well as
the claims of corruption, there's also been growing criticism over
the mushrooming cost of the deal. The government says the armed
forces urgently need modernisation, but opponents say the country
can't afford it, and the money would be better spent elsewhere.
|
| |
|
|
Listen
to the words |
| WORDS |
|
highly
charged issues: an issue is an important subject
that people are discussing, a highly charged issue is a subject
that has become very tense and emotional
facing: if you face something, then you have to deal
with it
wider criticism: if there is wider criticism of something
then even more people are expressing their disapproval of it
heat: (in this case) intense or highly focussed attention
light shed on: if you shed light on something then
you provide information or facts about it
mushrooming: quickly increasing in size or quantity (like
the mushroom shaped cloud of an atomic bomb explosion)
modernisation: if you modernise something then you
introduce new equipment and/or methods of working
better spent elsewhere: if money is better spent elsewhere,
then that money would be more effectively used to buy something
different to what it was already being spent on
|
|
| |
|
Read
about the background in BBC News Online |
|
|
