B9' South Africa's official- and semi-official statements on the subject of nuclearveapon acquisition have been arnbiguous and provide little insight into southAfrica's intentions and plans. A discussion of this topic nust take into accountthe very special situation arising frotu south Africars international isolationbecause of its apartheid policy, The diplornat i c and pol-itical costs of SouthAfrican acquisition and d€ploynent of nuclear Eeapons iqould be high, and quiten.,.sil l'. rjqaqfr^ r. i r +h^eF |v-ri!rJ *.-, .,-. Liseo" Ievertl.eless, oesperrte tonreservc the aparthei{ sy:-tel, SorLh Africars leaders r.-ay eschel,r a rationalweighir:g of costs arrd gains. fnstead, they might try to justify the acc!.isitionof nuclear r4,eapons as a .Iasc resort to attenpt to preserve vhitc supremacy byintimidating neighbo'.ring countries or as a .ievice tro ciemora"lize black SouthAfricans and, conversely, to buttTess the norale of the l,rhite population. 9A. Eecause overt acquisition of nuclear wrapons voufd entail serious risks and cort. fnr iorrl_.f A'-i 'r it q I eericrq ...lrr'l r'l ,irn 1'or . <.f raf adlr ^1- I atant tvvru !r_oroliferation t:tat Ls, So:th Africa could covcrLly stockpile nuclear veal.ons butstop short of openly testing and deploying them. .ihis strategy ',nould be ms.depossible by South Africars possession of unsaf-Jguarded sensitive nuclear facilities,It vould also rely on unconfirmed but h'idely credited runours that South Africahad those \,reapons to serv€ its purposes and pIans. 9f. l\iithout underestiinatin€j the extreme dangers of nuclear veapons in general, th€y take on esiecially ominous d.inensions if in the hands of a r6girne desocratL to preser./e rrhite sufreracy. Traditional conccfts of security interestse.nd percr'ptions oi t,hreat nay apply on-Iy to r. very lirrited cxtent in a situatior 1'rhere the gr€atest thfeat eciually rtcr.s from a t:acist r6girne's denial of L,asicrights to the overwhelming najority of the population and where such a r6gine isprepared to use strong repressive neans to pt:eserlre its interr.sts and privil,eges. tuch n situation clearly in'"'itos illopical rerlonscc and llciions by iouth Africa. 92. The prolileration of nJclear weapons to an.I country is a rnatter of serious concern to the worl-d, The introduction of nuclear r€apons to the African continent, and pa:'ticr-r1ar1y in:rch a volat-ifc region ar southcr?-r Africa, not only woulci oe e severe bl or'r to world\,ide efforts at non-orol. ij"eratiorr but alco woul-d upset nanyyears' efforts to spare the African continent fxon the nuclear arrns race and to make it a nuclean*veapon-fl:ee zone. .-,.rcLg e r t: nr; s of the consequences of that development only can be pessinisiic.
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the potential acquisition of nuclear weapons by South Africa, and the implications of such a move on the country's international relations, regional stability, and global security. The author is more concerned with the political and diplomatic consequences of such an action rather than its economic or environmental impacts. The text also touches on the theme of racial supremacy and the potential for nuclear weapons to be used to maintain white dominance in South Africa.

**Category**
International relations, Science and technology