Terminating Apartheid's Atomic Bomb

Sammanfattning: South Africa secretly produced six and a half nuclear weapons from 1978-1989 before undertaking a complete nuclear disarmament between 1989-1991; it is the only instance in history of when a state has discarded an indigenously developed nuclear arsenal and presents a unique case for studying the nuclear decision-making of states. This thesis is a theory-testing case study where I, by conducting a qualitative content analysis of previous research on South Africa’s nuclear rollback, examine how well Scott D Sagan’s nuclear policy model can explain the nuclear disarmament of South Africa. The model is found to have a high explanatory power despite its disregard for the beliefs of individuals which limits its explanatory power. The thesis confirms the assertions of previous studies that the emergence of a secure external milieu and the views of domestic actors likely facilitated South Africa’s decision to discard its nuclear arsenal, and as well demonstrates that previously overlooked concessions given to South Africa for acceding to the NPT should also be taken into account. The thesis also illustrates that the external security milieu, the importance conferred on nuclear weapons by domestic elites and the influence of nuclear non-proliferation norms and institutions, together can influence the nuclear decision-making of states.