JUNE - Department of Defence

message
From the
Editor's desk
4
W
e as a nation celebrated National Freedom
Day on 27 April 2007. The SANDF held its
annual Freedom Day Celebrations Parade at
the Bisho Stadium in the Eastern Cape. Read
all about the celebrations and the address of
our Commander-in-Chief (President Thabo
Mbeki) on pages 12 and 13.
Our second newly acquired submarine - the SAS
CHARLOTTE MAXEKE (S102) - was welcomed in
Simon's Town on 26 April 2007. Read about her arrival on
pages 14 and 15.
For the first time in history the international congress of
the International Commission of Military History (ICMH)
will be held in sub-Saharan Africa. It is therefore quite an
honour for South Africa to host the 2007 congress in Cape
Town from 12 to 17 August 2007. This event is already
seen as part of the build-up for the FIFA 2010 World Cup
n November last year 35 ex-Military
Skills Development System (MSDS)
Part I qualified chefs were interviewed
by the Cape Town
International Convention Centre and
offered posts in which they were to
start working in January 2007. Chef
Simon Kemp reported that the chefs
had "a positive attitude, showed enthusiasm
and were adapting to banqueting
catering".
The Naval Deployment Agency
(NDA) was created to assist those
MSDS members who did not join the
Core Service System in the SA Navy to
find civilian employment. These ex-
MSDS members have a contractual liability
for service in the Navy Reserve
and may be called on to render such
service as required by the SA Navy at a
mutually convenient time.
Last year approximately 230
trained MSDS members completed
Soccer Tournament. When the German National Commission
presented courtesy gifts to the various national commissions in
Germany (in August 2006) a genuine World Cup football was
handed to Maj Gen Solly Mollo, the President of the South
African Military History Commission, as a symbolic gesture
indicating that the ball was now in South Africa's court. The
African voice should be heard on podiums such as these, and
Africa must take its rightful position in the international community.
Read all about this forthcoming prestigious occasion on
pages 26 and 27.
It is June again and we are celebrating National Youth Day on
16 June; SA Soldier is therefore dedicating this Special Edition to
the youth in our Department and South Africa.
SA Soldier greetings.
Nelda Pienaar
Editor
Naval Deployment Agency assists MSDS
I
their MSDS service in the SA Navy,
after which they returned to the civilian
communities. These members were Part
I trained, inter alia in catering, personnel
or protection and are now able to offer
their skills, discipline and two years of
naval experience to their future
employers.
Other companies that expressed an
interest, conducted interviews and
offered posts to MSDS members were:
- Safmarine, which offered maritime
bursaries to SAMTRA for members
with Grade 12 maths and science.
- Sea Harvest, which was interested
in those who could be trained as ship's
engineers.
- The SAPS, which offered 400 posts
to those who were under 30 years of age
and had valid driving licences.
- Fidelity Guards, which interviewed
40 applicants for their guarding
division.
- South Peninsula Fire Department,
which offered 10 fire-fighting posts.
- Siphiwo Consulting Solutions,
which expressed a need for those with
administrative skills.
Cdr Graham Matthei, who manages
the NDA, said: "The support of
the above companies was positive,
very encouraging and will provide a
platform in the future." He and Petty
Officer Gillian Jacobs recently visited
SAS SALDANHA and addressed the
new MSDS intake on the functioning of
the Naval Reserve and the NDA, highlighting
opportunities on offer.
Other employers who are interested
in offering posts to trained MSDS
members should contact Cdr Graham
Matthei at the Reserve Management
Centre/Naval Deployment Agency at
tel no: (021) 787 3156/3469 during
office hours. - Lt Glenn von Zeil, SA
Naval Reserve
S A S O L D I E R J U N E 2 0 0 7