  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 nuclear non-proliferation treaty since 1991, and the chemical weapons convention since 1995. ==nuclear weapons== thumb|left|spare bomb casings from south africa's nuclear weapon programme   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|allis-
Abandoned_military_projects_of_South_Africa Foreign_relations_of_South_Africa IsraelaSouth_Africa_relations Military_of_South_Africa Nuclear_weapons_of_South_Africa Nuclear_weapons_programs Weapons_of_mass_destruction_by_country