In 1989, South Africa became the first, and only country to make and then dismantle nuclear weapons.

The project was conducted at Kentron Circle, a secret weapons facility.

André Buys was plant manager and systems engineer at Kentron Circle and was involved in making the weapons.

He tells Gill Kearsley about his work on this once top-secret project.

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(Photo: André Buys and his son standing in front of the empty warhead storage vaults at the former Kentron Circle nuclear weapons facility. Credit: André Buys)

South Africa’s nuclear weapons

Witness History