April - Department of Defence

events
30
Shaping the SA National
War College
Imprint in the
By PO Dennis Ndaba
It was a proud day indeed
when the Chief of the SANDF,
Gen Siphiwe Nyanda, officiated
at the inauguration parade
of the SA National War College
on 30 January 2004 at the site of
the former Boulevard Hotel in
Pretoria. This augurs well for
the presentation of the newly
designed Joint Senior
Command and Staff
Programme. Gen Nyanda said that he
trusted that the SA National War
College would add value to the community
in this area and that the unit
would prove to be a reliable and
useful neighbour to the business
enterprises and other institutions in
this part of the city.
"Today also marks the official
opening of the third Joint Senior
Command and Staff Programme. This
programme is considered by the
Military Council to be one of its flagships
and it enjoys a high priority in
the SANDF. I would therefore like to
welcome all the students who will be
attending the programme this year,
both SANDF members and our foreign
guests. You have been specifically
selected by your respective Chiefs
to attend this programme and therefore
great things are expected of you.
You are indeed privileged and the
eyes of the Defence Force will be on
you as you progress with your
training," added Gen Nyanda.
By implementing this programme
the Defence Force has ensured its
alignment with internationally accepted
norms with regard to joint training
at the operational level. "The ultimate
success of the programme will be
measured by the performance of
persons, such as yourselves, once you
have completed the training and have
S A S O L D I E R A P R I L 2 0 0 4
been suitably deployed. The need for
adopting the concept of true military
jointness in the execution of assigned
tasks is currently evident throughout
the world wherever forces have been,
and still are, deployed in a variety of
roles. The SANDF therefore has an
obligation to prepare itself accordingly
for whatever tasks it will be allocated
in future. In order to operate
effectively in the joint environment,
it is essential that we train our future
commanders and senior staff officers
in a joint fashion," he continued.
The ceremony also coincided with
the unveiling of the new SA National
War College Flag. For centuries the
military has made use of flags to convey
certain messages. One such purpose,
for which flags were used, was
to signal the start of military actions
on the battlefield. It has also been
used to indicate surrender to a superior
opponent and most importantly it
is even today still used to identify a
unit. The inner pride that each member
feels when the unit flag is displayed
enhances the desire to belong
to something bigger and better than
the individual, and this augments
morale and commitment. "Therefore,
the unveiling of the SA National War
College Flag can be seen as an
imprint in the wet cement of history
that will solidify with this unit. This
certainly contributes to a very proud
moment in the history of this prestigious
college. We all are proud of
you," the Chief of the SANDF
concluded.
Brig Gen William Nkonyeni, the
first Commandant of the SANWC
(since 1992), is determined to develop
and nurture this programme further,
particularly in the international arena.
He believes strongly that this can be
done best through the encouragement
of international contacts in order to
wet cement of
history.
Brig Gen William Nkonyeni,
Commandant of the SANWC.
learn the best practice from across the
globe. Therefore, one of the training
objectives of the programme makes
provision for students and staff to
conduct working visits to foreign
countries. This year, visits will take
place to Australia, Brazil, India,
Algeria, Senegal and the United
Kingdom. In addition, this concept of
international liaison is reinforced by
the fact that this year there are military
students from Germany, Kenya,
Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda
and Zambia. There are also officers
from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and the
United Kingdom already serving as
Directing Staff at the College.