Department of Defence Annual Report 2008-2009

| Department of Defence |
| Programme 7: General Support |
88mm blank cartridges (25 pounder) for ceremonial
purposes was made to Swaziland.
The Division has continued supporting Government’s
goal of sustainable utilisation of natural resources
and partnering in various Government initiatives.
The Department of Defence’s (DOD’s) ongoing
partnership with the Working for Water Programme
of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry
in Operation VUSELELA, saw the eradication
of alien and invasive vegetation on 6 952 hectares
of Defence-controlled properties. A total of 651
military veterans were employed.
As advised by the Portfolio Committee on Defence
(PCD), the DOD adopted a holistic approach
to the management of immovable heritage asset
management, including endowment property and
has initiated an audit of all its immovable heritage
resources. The withdrawal of the Castle Management
Act Repeal Bill resulted in the transfer of the Castle
to the Department of Arts and Culture being
discontinued. On recommendation of the PCD, the
Castle will remain the responsibility of DOD, with
the Minister of Defence as Executive Authority and
the Castle Control Board as statutory body. The
Logistics Division continues to exercise on behalf
of the Minister of Defence due diligence in the
execution of the Minister’s executive authority.
The Logistics Intervention and Repositioning
Programme (LIRP) established in FY 2007/08
achieved the following:
• An optimally-aligned DOD logistics strategy
was developed.
• The Council for Scientic and Industrial
Research (CSIR) was appointed as a strategic
partner to support the Logistics Division
with Supply-Chain Management. It developed
proposed future supply-chain processes,
logistics structures and inventory accounting
practice in the SANDF. This will play a major
role in the design of the new logistics systems
and structures throughout the DOD. A
preliminary DOD supply-chain model was also
developed.
• Preliminary Life-Cycle Management model
and processes were mapped and international
benchmarking was done.
• The procurement function was migrated to
the SANDF with the procurement entities
reporting to the Chief of Logistics from
February 2009.
• Continued co-ordination of the management
of logistics-related audit qualications.
A new Level 1 Logistics Strategy and Balanced
Scorecard for the DOD were formulated in
conjunction with Services and Divisions. The
changed strategy will be implemented from
1 April 2009. The Logistics Division formed a
Logistics Policy Development Committee that will
oversee all logistics policy in the division.
The Logistics and Finance Management Divisions
jointly, with the support of KPMG and SAB&T
asset accounting expertise, have started the process
to establish basic internal controls needed to achieve
a clean audit report. The services of outsourced
capabilities were acquired to engage in a phased
DOD Stock Verication Programme, in an effort to
rectify audit qualications regarding the management
of inventory as reported in the previous year.
The CSIR has been providing technical support
towards the creation of an enabling environment
for the DOD’s facilities management mandated
functions. The DOD has outsourced the
establishment and maintenance of an integrated
environmental compliance and risk-management
system, thereby assisting the Department in coping
with the lack of environmental capacity and
management information.
A total of 6 302 surplus to requirement weapons
were successfully back loaded from 13 units to more
secure environments within depots, in support
of the DOD’s anti-criminality programme. In
keeping with international obligations, the SANDF
demolished 67 tons of large landmines by means of
conventional methods.
A US project assisted the DOD in drafting the
rst draft Guidebook on “Outreach for Mission
Sustainability”, which will be utilised to guide the
encroachment on Defence- controlled property.
A total of 901 Military Skills Development System
(MSDS) members attended several logistics
functional courses empowering them to function
in operational posts in catering, supply-support,
transport-management and combat logistics support
that enabled the members to be deployed externally.
All the 2006 and 2007 year-group ammunition
apprentices completed academic training in the
period under review, contributing somewhat
towards the solving of the scarce skills shortage.
The Logistics Division Reserve Units have been
transferred to the SA Army. A total of R9.2 million
funds were utilised to employ 242 members of the
Reserve Force.
Annual Report FY 2008 - 2009 126