M A Y 2 0 1 2 • S A S O L D I E R - Department of Defence

S A S O L D I E RM A Y 2 0 1 2 • 1

SA SOLDIERThe official monthly magazine of the SA Department of Defence45681011121314From theEditor’s deskA sad farewell toAdmiral H.H. BiermannLettersto the EditorWork of the DefenceReviewopened to the publicAnalysis of our2009 Budget SpeechSADC Standby Forceshines during ExerciseGolfinhoOperation CLEAN AUDITIt starts with YOUThe Commander-in-Chiefhonours SAPeacekeepersA unified approachto military veteransSTREET ADDRESSDefence Headquarterscor Nossob & Boeing StErasmuskloofPRETORIA1115162123242628The SANDF will continueto be a messenger ofpeaceA solid foundation is laidto honour the militaryveteransThe DOD closes the gapon service deliveryOperation Litchi 10years down the lineThe SANDF returnsto border controlMinister improvesSANDF serviceconditionsMOD visitsembattled hospitalsCONTRIBUTIONS:Although all possiblecare is taken witharticles, the editorialstaff cannot take anyresponsibility for lostarticles and photographs.23303234353941The Interim NationalDefence Force ServiceCommission reportDefence contributestowards skillsdevelopmentHeeding the President’scall for job creationSADC DefenceCommitteeunited against piracySA Military HealthService:Proud to serve our nationChief of the SA Navyreceives HonoraryDoctorateREPRODUCTION, PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION:Shereno Printers10 Atlas RoadDunswart, BoksburgTel: (011) 894 4150Fax: (011) 894 4153email: nirans@shereno.co.za2005 - Winner of the Government Communicator of the Year Award (GCIS).2005 - Winner of the National Ubungcweti Award (GCIS).39POSTAL ADDRESSSA SOLDIERPrivate Bag X158PRETORIA, 0001EDITORIAL STAFFEditor: Ms Nelda PienaarDeputy Editor: Mr Lufuno NetshirembeText Editor:TranslationConsultant:Mr Eugene MullerDirectorateLanguage ServicesTELEPHONETel: (012) 355 6341Fax: (012) 355 6399email:sasoldier@mil.zawebsite: www.dod.mil.zaEditorial Staff:Mr Kgabo MashamaiteS Sgt Lebogang TlhaoleSgt Elias MahumaCpl Ally RakomaCpl Itumeleng MakhubelaDistribution:Mr Jim TshabalalaTel: (012) 355 6341Layout & Design:Mr Werner van der Westhuizen2 S A S O L D I E R • M A Y 2 0 1 2

S A S O L D I E Rwww.dod.mil.za44Successes in theHuman ResourcesDivision42EDITORIAL COMMITTEEMr S. Dlamini(Chairperson)Brig Gen X.G. MabangaCpln M.P.K. MasemolaCol S.A. MotswadiraCol M.E. PhekoCol S.P. ZeemanCdr C.E. KhumaloLt Col S. KotaneMs N. PienaarLt S.E. SegoneMr L.R.M. Netshirembe(Secretary)40ABOVE: A SANDF member and a rancher on the lookout forrhino poachers in the Kruger National Park.(Photo: Capt Matthew de Jager)SA SOLDIER is published monthly - 12 issues per year. The views andopinions expressed by the authors of articles are their own and donot necessarily represent those of the Department of Defence (DOD).Acceptance and publication of advertorial and advertising matter inSA SOLDIER do not constitute DOD endorsement or warranty in respectof goods or services therein described. The DOD does not assume anyliability in respect of any claims made in advertisements.COPYRIGHT: No article or picture in this magazine may be reproducedwithout the written consent of the Editor.FRONT COVER: A collage of various front covers of previous SASoldier magazines that featured articles on the successes of the Ministerof Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, since she assumedoffice.For the latest news on defence matters in South Africa,visit our website at: www.dod.mil.zaM A Y 2 0 1 2 • S A S O L D I E R 3

S A S O L D I E Rmessagereview of defencefrom theeditor’s deskIn view of the fact that the Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, will bedelivering her Budget Vote in Parliament on 17 May2012 SA Soldier dedicates this edition to the manyachievements of the Department of Defence and theSA National Defence Force since the appointmentof Ms Sisulu as the Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans in 2009.We also celebrate Mother’s Day on 13 May, whichmakes it even more appropriate to dedicate this specialedition of SA Soldier to the Mother of our military familywho is the first woman to be appointed Minister ofDefence in South Africa.This edition is packed with success stories publishedin SA Soldier over the past three years; and after readingthem all I am certain you will be as proud as I am to be amember of this military family.Read all about Exercise Golfinho (page 11), amultinational peacekeeping operation with over 6 000participants from different security forces and supportelements, which took the Southern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) region by storm through thecomplexity of its execution.The SANDF has spent a decade participating inpeace missions. To celebrate this worthy milestonethe SANDF Commander-in-Chief and President ofSouth Africa, Mr Jacob Zuma, honoured our peaceambassadors with medals during a parade held in theirhonour on 16 October 2009 (read page 13).Read on page 21 how the Department of Defenceclosed the gap on service delivery as it completed theconstruction of three bridges in Eastern Cape villages on16 March 2010.Who can still remember the mother who gave birthto a baby girl, Rosita Mabuiango, in a tree during theraging floods in Mozambique in March 2000?! MinisterSisulu announced in her budget vote in Parliament on 4May 2010 that the SANDF had formally adopted RositaMabuiango to contribute towards her educational andother costs related to her upbringing (read page 23).Read about the official launch of the Departmentof Military Veterans on 30 April 2010. After years ofstruggle to be recognised the Military Veterans nowhave a department to deal specifically with theirchallenges (page 25).Who can forget that the SANDF deployed more than3 500 soldiers to different hospitals during the PublicService labour action in 2010 to assist the Departmentof Health in rendering medical service and providingsecurity support in co-ordination with the South AfricanPolice Service (read page 28).The SA Air Force boasts the first female Gripen pilotin the world – Maj Catherine Labuschagne.Wow! Read about this historic milestone onpage 29.Read on page 32 about the day whenMinister Sisulu welcomed and wishedgood luck to 4 000 young men and womenwho had been accepted for the first intake of the MilitarySkills Development System (MSDS) for 2011. The systemseeks to provide scarce skills for the youth of the countryto enable them to contribute meaningfully to the growth ofthe country and in so doing heed the President’s call for jobcreation.Read about more progress in the Department of Defencesince Minister Sisulu assumed her post (pages 36 and 27):In 2009 she stated boldly in her first budget vote speechthe need for a separate dispensation for the Departmentof Defence that would allow it to deal creatively with itsown needs and the specificities of its own unique securityrequirements. Thus the Interim National Defence ForceService Commission was establishment to look into theconditions of service of SANDF members. To further advancethis effort in 2010, the Department of Defence submitted toParliament an Amendment Bill to the Defence Act of 2002.The bill proposed, among others, a separate dispensation forthe Department of Defence from the public service sector,which would give it legal standing and a permanent servicecommission. Furthermore, salary increases for all SANDFmembers on salary levels 2 to 12 were effected as from 1December 2009. On another level the SANDF did a sterlingjob in providing ironclad security for the duration of the2010 Soccer World Cup.The SANDF continues to inspire South Africans: read onpage 40 about the Joint Operations Division that deployedSANDF cadres for participation in a wide range of prominentand internationally recognised external peace supportoperations.It is a known fact that since taking office in 2009, MinisterSisulu has demonstrated her passion for turning thingsaround in the SANDF. Among the issues close to her heartwas the improvement of service conditions for NationalDefence Force members when she appointed a permanentNational Defence Service Commission (NDSC). The NDSCwill also help the SANDF to retain scares skills as it willprovide the kind of working environment that will improvethe morale of our personnel.Another achievement was the amendments to theNon-statutory Forces Pension Fund in accordance with theGovernment Employees Pension Act. Huge progress hasbeen made with the support of the Government PensionAdministration Agency since the middle of 2011 (readpage 47).Not only did Minister Sisulu bring about positive changeto the Department in the three years of her tenure but sherestored hope in the hearts of many in the SA NationalDefence Force.Nelda PienaarEditor SA Soldier4 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

tributeS A S O L D I E RM A Y 2 0 1 2 • 5

S A S O L D I E Rlettersreview of defenceJOB WELL DONEI visited the Rand Show today, and Imust compliment the SANDF. Trulythis was most likely the only part ofthe show that was well organised.All of the military personnel werevery friendly. They were alwaysquick and willing to respond to anyquestions that my mother or I had.The vehicles, kit, weapons and otherdisplayed items were all clearlymarked. The stands were also veryclean and presentable as expected ofthe military.The opening was also conductedin a very professional manner. It’s areal shame that the public showedlittle respect for military tradition. Itwas also very rude and unprofessionalof the SA Police Service Band to paradewhile the General Salute was beingplayed. My mother also stated that thiswas disrespectful.The readiness display was alsoconducted in a very professionalmanner. And I must say it must havetaken a good couple of practice sessionsto get it right. Everything was perfectlysynchronised, from the mortar roundbeing “fired”, including more or lessthe flight time, to the impact. Whenthe 20mm cannon on the Rooivalk onthe second pass was fired I saw thatwinning letterthe gun by eye was pointing exactlywhere the “rounds” hit. The big bangfrom the Hawk was very well timedand synchronised. My photo of theHawk was just a photo with flames!To all the members involved in thedisplay, WELL DONE!To be honest I wish that membersof the old South African Defence Forcewould visit this event more to proveto them that the military is still of thesame high standard as it was then.Once again I must congratulateall members of the SANDF for a jobwell done. And I salute you. H. Ryno,emailmore exposURE to the worldI was the Defence Attaché in Malaysia,Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines(South East Asia) from July 2008 toJuly 2011. Many military practitionersat senior and junior level have visitedand received training in South Africa,R200-00 prize for the best letterand the country was more exposed tothe world than before. During MinisterLindiwe Sisulu’s tenure of officerelations between South Africa andthe countries in the region improveda lot, and her direct involvement andWell Done To The SANDF Service CommissionI ran out of words when I heardthe news on SABC Radio from ourCommander-in-Chief (President JacobZuma). I was so excited because wehave suffered for a very long timewith little pay in the SANDF. Butwe still go and deploy to protect ourcountry and the SADC countries.We never gave up hope that one-daysomeone would look at our problems.AppreciationI want to express my deepestappreciation for the Season’s Greetingsfrom the Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, Ms LindiweSisulu. The fact that the Ministerhas appreciated me as a person, aWhen soldiers were doing the toyitoyiit was bad for us, but that was ourlast hope that maybe someone wouldcome to our rescue. We had to show thewhole country that we were suffering,because if you do not cry, people thinkthat you are OK. But mostly I wouldlike to thank the Commission, MinisterLindiwe Sisulu and our Commanderin-Chieffor not hesitating to take actionsoldier and a family man goes a longway towards boosting morale andengendering loyalty to the organisation.I am sure that my appreciation isnot mine only, but that I share thesentiments of so many soldiers andSA SOLDIER welcomes letters to the Editor. Short letters are more likely to bepublished, and all letters may be edited for reasons of style, accuracy or spacelimitations. Letters should preferably be typewritten. All letters must include thewriter’s full name, address and home telephone number. The volume of letterswe receive makes individual acknowledgement impossible. Please send yourletters to: The Editor, SA SOLDIER Letters, Private Bag X158, Pretoria, 0001.Letters may also be faxed to (012) 355-6399 or sent via email to sasoldier@mil.za. We would like to hear your comments or ideas, particularly about mattersaffecting members of the Department of Defence. Regrettably, anonymous letterscannot be answered officially or published - Editor.that of her office in supporting theSA Defence Industry has led to SouthAfrica securing multi-million dollardefence contracts in the region. ColBen Mbanjwa, Senior Staff Officer:Africa and the Middle East, emailafter the Commission’s report.To Judge Lebotsang Bosielo, I saywell done. To my fellow soldiers, I sayget your R4s and protect this countrywith pride and high morale. Soldierscan now have a better life after along battle. I salute you all. Cpl L.BMudau, AFB Makhado (The letter waspreviously published in SA Soldier, April2010 edition, page 8.)comrades out there in the variousServices. One lesson I hope many ofus who are in leadership will learn isthat irrespective of all the challengesthat we have, one has to appreciatethe work done by subordinatesand we should not always criticisedestructively. So, despite the sea ofchallenges we face as an organisationwe have the will-power shown bythe Minister in tackling them headon.We appreciate the fact that sheappreciates our humble contributionsto the safety of our country, and thankher for her warm Christmas greetingson behalf of the Commander-in-Chief,Cabinet and Government, and I wantto say the feeling is mutual. ChaplainNkosinathi Ngesi, Military Academy(The letter was previously published in SASoldier, March 2010 edition, page 8.)6 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

lettersreview of defenceS A S O L D I E RA Word OF ThanksPlease allow us to register a word ofthanks to you and congratulate theMinisterial Commission on Defenceon a job well done back home. We asSouth African peacekeepers outsidethe country would like to welcomethem warmly into the SANDF! Wehope our SANDF and the countrywill give them the total support theydeserve. The commission has up todate performed an amazing servicefor our poor soldiers and their poorfamilies at large!We strongly believe that if it werenot for them as mediators, our newSANDF should have gone to war withits troops. The commission is actingas our military emergency rescueteam and is doing a great militaryjob! We are watching from a distanceout here on external deployment,and are impressed to witness howquickly they tackle our for far too longoverdue salary issues. In all corners ofour country and the world the mediahave been informed about how theSANDF should stop integration, salaryabuse and harassment against its owntroops.Cheap labour has to be foreign (orbe history) in our SANDF! It is abouttime that the SANDF realises who wereally are, then we will be heading formilitary success in our new SANDF!We soldiers are constantly competingfor a better social and military positionwith our police and other securityforces, but for us it was very difficult toobtain military and social compliments,and sometimes it appears that we areso absorbed in this competition that weare blind to the realities around us.With the current soaring pricesof commodities, including having tosupport our loved ones, we are the onestaking military financial strain! Wesend special greetings and thanks tothe commission because it now satisfiesthe troops and there will be nothingstanding in the way of these soldiersgetting their proper integration,promotions, career maintenance andsalary hikes with immediate effect, andthey will be the winners.No more will they wage war againsttheir organisation, their payslips,loan sharks, ATMs and bank staffmembers on pay day! We shall nownail criminals and local crime, and alsobegin to win the war against criminals,and we shall stop at nothing to endcrime and corruption completely, andrecognise the gains we have madeafter integration into our new SANDF!But now, because of the Commission,troops will be very happy and excitedand have a chance to smile on payday because they will be able to putBuilding Of The Tsomo Bridgesomething on the table for themselvesand their beneficiaries!The recommendations of theMinisterial Commission on Defenceto improve soldiers’ workingconditions on local and externaldeployment and their salaries andallowances are proper and it is hereto stay permanently. We have greatconfidence in the commission’sexcellent job, and we are proud of itsupdates and the progress made sinceits appointment date!Soldiers have the right to a better,effective, affordable and acceptablemilitary and social lifestyle, andnow the commission will apparentlybe there when we need them! Inconclusion, we urge our soldiers toplan ahead and devote more of theirmonies and resources to their ownand their families’ education anda healthy lifestyle, which will be ofbenefit to their families, the SANDFand our country.Our economy will flourish andour future will be more than bright!May God our Almighty Lord bless ourMinisterial Commission on Defence,our SANDF and our Government nowand forever more. Amen! S Sgt T.D.Makiti, 121 SAI Bn (The letter waspreviously published in SA Soldier, March2010 edition, page 10.)I write this letter in appreciation ofthe above. I cannot help but expressmy appreciation for the interventionto revive access roads in rural areas.I also appreciate the work of youngwomen and men in combat uniform inmeeting their social responsibilities.Let them keep up the good work.Thandi Tobias, Poloko MP, DeputyMinister of Trade and Industry(former Chairperson of the PortfolioCommittees on Defence and PublicWorks) (The letter was previouslypublished in SA Soldier, May 2010edition, page 6.)A Word Of Appreciation And ThanksAllow me an opportunity to register aword of appreciation to God Almightyand the SANDF, who has blessed mewith another external deployment.I am a diehard SANDF/SAMHSmember (OECP Area Military healthUnit Gauteng) and I welcome eachand every deployment as a gift and agolden opportunity from God and myDOD. My family and I know for a factthat God cannot do things the wrongway, and again, my wife and childrenback home, a big happy family, do notbelieve that there’s anything maliciousabout my soldiering assignments!We have also realised that thereare some “prophets of doom” withsome questions and some remarkscriticizing me, but at the same timethey are also caught up in poverty,and this reflects reality. My family lifehas been blessed with challenges fromwhich we learned to be strong, and wehave taken them to God in prayer. Myfamily is currently leading a balancedlifestyle! Right now my family andrelatives are complimenting me on a jobwell done and making their life a littlebit easier in terms of a better lifestyle.Our marriage is approachingits 20th anniversary, which will becelebrated mid 2010 according to ourwish and God’s plan and approval.We are an ordinary family leading asimple religious life instilled by God’svalues. We place importance on religion,fairness and transparency, and webelieve in advancing ourselves in thatregard. My family are patient and kindand they taught me to persevere andmake positive decisions.They always encourage me todevelop myself through my externaldeployment experience, to studyfurther and to grab each opportunitythat comes my way. The childrenare fond of saying “Daddy” to me. Ialways remember to make the SANDFpart of our family, as we have beenpart and parcel of the Army since 1987.Pray about all, live within yourmeans and nobody but nobodywill ever make you happy exceptGod, yourself and the SANDF!Currently I am enjoying a very gooddeployment here in the Sudan and Ifeel honoured to be associated withsuch professional and distinguishedSANDF peacekeeping heroes andheroines.S Sgt T.D. Makiti, Sudan (Theletter was previously published in SASoldier, April 2010 edition, page 13.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 7

S A S O L D I E R 2012 review of defenceWork of the Defence Reviewopened to the publicBy Ms Bibi SibanyoniPhoto: Cpl Itumeleng MakhubelaThe Chairperson of the DefenceReview Committee, Mr RoelfMeyer, handed over the fifthphase of the progress report,also called the consultative draft2012, to the Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans, Ms LindiweSisulu, at the CSIR Convention Centrein Pretoria on 12 April 2012.Members of the National Press Clubengaged with Minister Sisulu andthe Defence Review Committee onthe progress made thus far. Ms Sisuluintroduced the Chairperson of theDefence Review Committee, Mr RoelfMeyer, who was a former Ministerof Defence. Mr Meyer said: “Weare excited to present this 420 pagedocument to Minister Sisulu and areproud of the work done, which willclarify the final product. This is a longreport, which took 14 years to review,and it will be a guideline for the next 30years.”Mr Meyer added that it was importantthat the Defence Review be reviewedto meet the demands of today’sdevelopmental state. The Defence ReviewCommittee also plans to present thereview in three categories by meansof Izimbizos in all nine provinces toallow input by members of the public.The starting point will be in KwaZulu-Natal on 21 April 2012 and will becommunicated in the social media, egfacebook and twitter to create a platformacross generational barriers to engagekey stakeholders, as well as consultationswith defence partners and communities.Minister Sisulu echoed the message thatthis Defence Review was for everyoneand people should be at liberty to engagein it. She called for partnershipwith the media and asked that theyjoin hands and educate the broaderpublic about the role of the NationalDefence Force. She said: “Peopleshould familiarise themselves withthe review, which is on the website,so that we educate and engage inmeaningful debates on defenceissues. However, it is still to beapproved in Parliament, to which wewill be presenting our first phase on18 April 2012 on progress thus far.”One of the main responsibilities ofthe Defence Review Committee is toinvestigate the possibility of Armscorand the Defence acquisition reportingto the Secretary for Defence, Dr SamGulube, who is the accounting officerof the Department of Defence.* For more information visit the website:www.sadefencereview2012.orgFront, fltr: Lt Gen Vusi Masondo, the then Acting Chief of the SANDF, Mr Roelf Meyer, the Chairpersonof the Defence Review Committee, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, andDr Sam Gulube, the Secretary for Defence, with members of the Defence Review Committee.8 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

letters to the editorS A S O L D I E RM A Y 2 0 1 2 • 9

S A S O L D I E R 2009 review of defenceAnalysis of our 2009Budget SpeechBy Mr Robert Wapenaar, Asst DirRevenue ManagementThe Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, Ms LindiweSisulu, presented her firstDepartment of Defence BudgetVote in the National Assembly inCape Town on 3 July 2009.With regard to the budget Ms Sisulusaid: “The first challenge that confrontsus is a declining budget whereour domestic obligations remaindefined in the Constitution, against abackdrop of our growing internationalresponsibilities and a deterioratinginfrastructure and, very importantly,against a clear and pressing reality thatconditions of service for the NationalDefence Force need our immediateattention. We have a responsibility toenhance and maintain comprehensivedefence capabilities to ensure that theterritorial integrity of our country andits sovereignty are protected. This isa constitutional requirement and weneed to keep ourselves in a state ofcompetence, one of constant renewedadvancement, in a state of readiness,as it is commonly called here. Witha declining budget our competenceis severely hampered, with direconsequences”.She continued by highlighting thefollowing issues:• Compile budget for MilitaryVeterans. To execute thedepartment’s responsibility, atask team has been establishedconsisting of members of theMilitary Veterans Associationsand representatives of variousstakeholders. The task teamfalls under the Deputy Minister.Preliminary indications are thata separate vote and a separatedepartment for Military Veteranscan be created.• Training for essential skills byemploying MSDS members inother departments. In rethinkingour role in the economy, theDepartment of Defence (DOD)would like to provide training foressential skills in the economy.The Military Skills DevelopmentSystem (MSDS) aims to providethe SANDF with the militaryhuman resources required by theDefence mandate to empowerthe youth through training anddevelopment opportunities whilethey serve in the MSDS and toinstil sound ethics and values ofcivic responsibility. We wish tosell this concept of opening up ourskills development for governmentdepartments and the private sector.A very good example of the skillsthat we have been able to provideover the years is pilot training.The SAA has one of the higheststandards of aviation safety in theworld. We would like to claim thatthis is in no small measure dueto the bulk of the pilots havingbeen trained by the SANDF. Thistype of training allows us toprovide continuous service. Forgovernment the list of possibilitiesis endless. What this does is toallow the SANDF to reskill ouryouth, energise our economy andprovide us with some revenuefrom the various departments weare servicing as a Service Provider,which means that our renewal canbe taken care of by our own efforts.• Support for SAPS by means ofborderline control. The DODtakes an active role in assisting theSA Police Service (SAPS) to dealwith crime. This is a matter that isunder discussion at the moment,against a backdrop of very clearlegislative mandates. The DOD hasagreed in principle that the defenceof our borders needs to remain inthe hands of the National DefenceForce. This will ensure that wecan release the SAPS to deal withcrime in the country. The Presidentsigned the first protocol in 2008and we will be working on this onan incremental basis.• Retention of scarce skills. Thecreation of a dependable, agileand flexible human capital baseremains the minister’s focusfor the financial year. The highrate of skills migration anddearth of scarce skills requireMs Lindiwe Sisulu,Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans.the introduction of modernapproaches to mobilisation andthe deployment of human capitalto accelerate the accumulationof specialised skills and theretention of institutional memoryto ensure the enhancing of theculture and doctrine that defineour disciplined military force.The demand for a well trained,multi-skilled, disciplinedand well equipped NationalDefence Force as a critical leverof the developmental agendaof Government is a reality thatcannot be left to chance. Theoutflow of skilled technicalpersonnel, engineers andcombat personnel from the DODcontinues to cause a reductionin the experience levels at units.Incentive schemes to mitigate thischallenge have been introducedand are adjusted regularly in linewith changing requirements.In addition the Department isexploring a strategy to address theretention of scarce skills withinthe Department.• Separate dispensation for theDOD. The DOD is consideringmaking a request for a separatedispensation for the Departmentthat would allow the DOD to dealcreatively with its own needs andthe specifics of its own uniquesecurity requirements.(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, August2009 edition, pages 12 and 13.)10 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2009 review of defenceSADC Standby Force shinesat Exercise GolfinhoS A S O L D I E RBy L Cpl Itumeleng MakhubelaPhoto: S Sgt Lebogang TlhaoleExercise Golfinho is amultinational peacekeepingoperation with over 6 000participants from differentsecurity forces and supportelements. This uniqueapproach to peace support missionshas taken the Southern AfricanDevelopment Community (SADC)region by storm through its complexityand execution. The SADC StandbyForce was established as agreed uponby the African Union timeline of 2010with the aim of participating in peacesupport missions. Its main objectivewas to prepare elements of the SADCStandby Force for a multidimensionalpeace support operation in line withthe African Union (AU) standby forceroad map.Briefing the media about ExerciseGolfinho, Brig Gen LawrenceSmith, the Force Commander, saidthey had selected scenario six of theprescribed AU training structure,i.e. an intervention that poseddifficulties in terms of interoperability.Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, congratulating Dr MathendeleDlamini, the Head of Mission SADC StandbyForce, after the parade, while Lt Gen VusiMasondo, the then Chief SA Army ForcePreparation (now Chief of the SA Army), Brig GenNontobeko Mpaxa, the Commandant of the SAArmy Combat Training Centre, and Mr SiphiweDlamini, DOD Head of Communication, look on.He described it as way of testingimpossibilities by putting togetherpeople of different groupings andbackgrounds. The composition of theSADC Standby Force consisted ofthe Mission Headquarters, a civiliancomponent, a police component and themilitary component that contributedimmensely by providing personnel.Exercise Golfinho was structuredin three phases. The first was theMAPEX, which was the initial partof the exercise that entailed mappingand operational planning. This wasfollowed by the CPX command postexercise, and lastly training exerciseFTX, a month long field trainingexercise at the SA Army TrainingCombat Centre in Lohatlha that tookplace from 1 to 28 September 2009. Thisinvolved mobilising forces in memberstates, intervention by airborneforces and marrying up of drills byintegrating SADC states and theirdifferent forces.Of the 15 countries that form the SADC,only three, Mauritius, the Seychellesand Madagascar did not participate inthe exercise. Each SADC member statehad to provide itsown means for itsforces. The NavalJoint MaritimeTask Force atWalvis Bay inNamibia alsoran a concurrentexercise with theone in Lohatlha.A simulatedhostile takeoverby rebel militantsof armamentsvehicles wasstaged during ademonstration.The scenedepicted how awell-integratedSADC forcewould handlesuch an incident.The objectiveof the exercisewas to test theinteroperabilityand compatibility of the missioncomponents. Unlike the militaryand police components, the civiliancomponent had to be trained forthe provision of assistance forhumanitarian relief operations.Mr Haretsebe Mahosi from Lesotho,Head of the Civilian component, toldSA Soldier that part of their role in theexercise was to handle political affairsand negotiations among, and onbehalf of, victims of civil strife. Theyalso teamed up with the InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross (ICRC)in assessing the situation andproviding assistance. The ICRC alsoprovided training in InternationalHumanitarian Law for differentSADC contingents.The Exercise Golfinho VIP Daymarked the biggest parade ever tobe held in the SADC region. Thedecommissioning of the SADCbrigade and a medal parade for theparticipants in the exercise took placeon 22 September 2009. The highestfunctionaries at the parade includedMr Filipe Nyussi, the MozambiqueMinister of Defence, who presentedthe medals to the senior cadre ofthe SADCMIL, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu,Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, and her Deputy, MrThabang Makwetla.Dr Mathendele Dlamini fromSwaziland, the Head of Mission ofthe SADC Standby Force, said thatthe SADC should celebrate the visionof the heads of state in launching theSADC Standby Force and providingnecessary means to achieve theirobjectives. He further urged themembers on parade to take accountof the skills they had acquired and tobe loyal to their states and people. Heconcluded: “It is without a shadowof doubt that the skills you haveacquired through this training willenable you to perform prominentlyand effectively even after yourintegration into the African StandbyForce.”(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, October2009 edition, pages 11 – 13.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 11

S A S O L D I E R2009 review of defenceOperation CLEAN AUDIT -It starts with YOU!responsibility forthe implementationand ultimate successof Operation CleanAudit (OCA) rests“Thewith everybodywithin the Department and I, theDeputy Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, have pledged myfull commitment and co-operationto ensuring that the Departmentachieves a clean audit in theforeseeable future. I urge you to do thesame; remember it starts with you,”said the Deputy Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans, Mr ThabangMakwetla, commenting on OperationClean Audit.Operation CLEAN AUDIT (OCA)is an initiative of the Departmentof Defence (DOD) to clear the auditqualifications for the Department.The Auditor General of South Africahas for the past four financial yearsissued a qualified audit opinionon the financial statements of theDepartment of Defence. The AuditorGeneral has a constitutional mandateas the Supreme Audit Institution(SAI) of South Africa. SAI exists tostrengthen our country’s democracyby enabling oversight, accountabilityand governance in the public sector,thereby building public confidence.The biggest challenge for theDepartment, as is the case in mostof the government, is that thecurrent systems, in particular thefinancial management system,does not necessarily support allthe requirements for the DOD tocomply with the relevant accountingstandards and the Public FinanceManagement Act (PFMA). Otherfactors that are inhibiting the DODfrom complying with the PFMAinclude the inherent challengesin developing and implementingkey internal controls within theDepartment and non-compliancewith the relevant policies andprocedures. This has led to theDOD not being able to account forand report on its resources for thepast number of years.These problems are compoundedfurther by capacity constraintsfacing the Government ingeneral, and the lack of skillsand competencies required inaccounting and auditing.All these known factors havedirectly and/or indirectlycontributed to the DOD receivingthe qualified audit reports from theAuditor General.How Operation CLEANAUDIT aims to assistthe DOD in achievinga clean audit reportThe approach adopted by the OCAteam is to assist the DOD, firstly inidentifying and confirming all of theroot causes of the audit qualifications,secondly to put measures in place toaddress these root causes, includingdeveloping and implementingimproved policies and procedures andinternal controls, and thirdly to trainand provide DOD employees with theskills to perform their duties moreefficiently and effectively.The ultimate objective is to achievequality financial reporting and toadopt an adequate system of internalcontrols as well as improved policies,procedures and ensure adherencethereto, all of which are critical toachieving a clean audit report.The OCA team is made up of membersof the DOD and a team of externalconsultants who have been brought into provide the DOD with the additionalcapacity and the accounting andauditing skills and expertise requiredto carry out a project of this nature.Mr Thabang Makwetla, DeputyMinister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans.However, the ultimate responsibilityfor implementing the solutions beingintroduced by the OCA team restswith every member of the DOD.ProgressThe project is currently in its ninthmonth of implementation and therehas already been progress duringthe 2008/09 financial year in whichthree audit qualifications fromthe previous financial year havenow been cleared. Roadshows arecurrently being planned in which theteam will share more details on theproject with everyone affected andprovide some basic training in whatis required of them to participate inand contribute to achieving a cleanaudit report. So look out for theroadshow near you and remember: Itstarts with YOU!(For more information please readthe article as published in SA Soldier,October 2009 edition, page 46.)12 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2009 review of defenceS A S O L D I E RThe Commander-in-Chiefhonours our peacekeepersBy Mr Lufuno NetshirembePhotos: S Sgt Lebogang TlhaoleThe SANDF has spent a decadeparticipating in peace missions.To celebrate this worthy activityof our soldiers the SANDFbrigade parade under thecommand of Brig Gen AshtonSibango and CWO Joachim Pretoriuswas held in Bloemfontein on 16October 2009 in honour of our peace“angels”. The parade was held in AFBBloemspruit and the BloemfonteinCity Hall. On 15 and 16 October thestreets surrounding the city hall wereclosed from approximately 11:00 to13:30.The SANDF Commander-in-Chief andPresident of South Africa, Mr JacobZuma, was invited to attend and tohonour our tireless and fearless peacewarriors. The Commander-in-Chieflaid a wreath in memory of thosewho had lost their lives during peacemissions. After the parade inspectionhe presented medals the soldiers.In his speech the Commander-in-Chief commended the soldiers:“Members on parade, you have beenexcellent ambassadors of our countryin the quest for peace. In difficultcircumstances you have earnedyourselves a place in the hearts ofmany”.President Zuma confirmed that theSANDF was the spear and shieldof our nation. He urged the nationto invest in our National DefenceForce. “Investing in the SANDFmeans we are investing in thecreation of conditions for democracy,the strengthening of democracyand defending democracy,” saidthe President. He indicated thatthe perception that intensifyingdemocracy reduced the security threatwas incorrect; what reduced the threatwas investing in the defence of ourdemocratic state.The members on parade representedall the Services and Divisions of theABOVE: President Jacob Zuma awardedWO2 Dick Shadrack Mkhonto with the Starfor Bravery Gold Medal for performing greatdeeds of exceptional bravery by putting hislife in danger during MK military operations.SANDF that participated in peacemissions, and the colour companyconsisted of Service and Regimentalcolours of Services and Units thatparticipated in peace missions. Themass band comprised four servicebands under the direction of Lt ColMatthys Pienaar, Director of Musicof the SAAF Band. Two AgustaWestland AW109 helicopters from87 Helicopter Flying School basedat AFB Bloemspruit performedthe flight salute. The SA ArmyArtillery Mobilisation Regimentperformed the 21-gun saluteunder the command of Maj FransABOVE: The thenChaplain Generalof the SANDF, BrigGen (Rev) MariusCornelissen, readsfrom the Bible. Onthe podium, fltr:the Commanderin-Chief,PresidentJacob Zuma,the Minister ofDefence andMilitary Veterans,Ms Lindiwe Sisulu,and the then Chiefof the SANDF, GenGodfrey Ngwenya.van Niekerk. The SA Navy performedprecision drill.In view of the fact that our countrydoes not live in isolation, its economicdevelopment and security are linked toAfrica’s stability. In pursuit of a betterlife for all the SANDF will continue tobe deployed on various peace missionsand thus render political, economic andhumanitarian aid to various Africanstates.(For more information please read the articleas published in SA Soldier, Novemberedition, pages 13 - 15.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 13

S A S O L D I E R2009 review of defenceA unified approach to military veteransBy Cpl Ally RakomaOn 6 November 2009 theMinisterial Task Team onMilitary Veterans chaired bythe Deputy Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans, Mr ThabangMakwetla, held a consultativeworkshop which was one of thepublic engagements with variousstakeholders at the St George’s Hotelin Pretoria.Providing input were veterans’associations, representatives fromthe Institute of Security Studies, theCentre for the Study of Violence andReconciliation, the Sector Educationand Training Authorities in theSecurity and Services Industriesand government departments thatare currently providing services toveterans, eg the Department of SocialDevelopment and the Department ofHuman Settlements.The aim of the workshop wasto solicit public input for the DraftPolicy Report on the future of theState’s obligation, which was aimedat benefiting the country’s roughestimate 20 000 military veterans.The workshop proved a vitalplatform for enhancing co-ordinatedcommunication to assist in devisingways to address the veterans’ plight,including priorities and time framesto improve the services they need, andthus improve their welfare and futureprospects.In his address the Deputy Ministerof Defence and Military Veteransat the workshop pointed outthat military veterans were excombatantswith military skillsand experience. He added thatneglecting them could drive them toresort to the only skill they had, andas a result they could descend intocriminality.Mr Makwetla said: “Neglectingthem may compromise the stability,safety and security of the country.The Ministry of Defence andMilitary Veterans has announcedplans for creating a separate entitywith its own budget and accountingofficer to be responsible for veterans’affairs.”(For more information please readthe article as published in SA Soldier,December 2009 edition, page 13.)Air Force Base Waterkloof opens its gates againBy Ms Bibi MorgetsPhoto: S Sgt Lebogang TlhaoleThe Department of Defencewas pleased to bring back theAir Squadron to its home atWaterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoriaon 29 October 2009. Phase one of thelong anticipated project has thereforefinally been completed.The project has cost nearly R700million for the upgrades at the basesince September 2007. The Ministerof Public Works, Mr Geoff Doidge,handed the base back to the Ministerof Defence and Military Veterans,Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, after a successfuloperation. The runway was officiallyopened for the presidential flightwhen President Jacob Zuma, theCommander-in-Chief of the SANDF,landed there for the first time. Thefour squadrons were stationed atSwartkop, Lanseria and OR TamboInternational Airport, but nothingbeats being back at the originalaerodrome.Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano, Chief ofthe SA Air Force, said: “It is a hugerelief that the construction is nearingcompletion, as the Department hasspent so many thousands of rands onlanding rights for our aircraft at otherbases and airports over the past twoyears. This means the SA Air Force willsave huge costs and that money will beutilised for other projects.”(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, December2009 edition, pages 16 and 17.)President Jacob Zuma, the Commander-in-Chief of the SANDF,cutting the ribbon to open the runway officially, while dignitariesenthusiastically look on, clockwise, fltr: the then Minister of PublicWorks, Mr Geoff Doidge, the then Acting Secretary for Defence, MrTsepe Motumi, the then Chief of the SANDF, Gen Godfrey Ngwenya,the Chief of the SA Air Force, Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano, the DeputyMinister of Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Thabang Makwetla,and the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu.14 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2010 review of defenceThe SANDF continues tobe a messenger of peaceS A S O L D I E RAs we usher in the New Year wecan look back on the year 2009with great pride and joy in theknowledge that we have onceagain successfully carried outour constitutional mandate.The year 2009 saw a continuedcommitment by all South Africansas they went to the polls to maketheir mark during the 4 th nationaldemocratic elections. This affirms thematurity of our democracy and, as aresult, we have a new Commander-in-Chief, President Jacob Zuma, myselfas the new Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, and Mr ThabangMakwetla as Deputy Minister. Thedeputy Minister and I accepted theappointments fully conscious ofthe enormous responsibility andexpectations that come with theappointments. We are comforted andencouraged by the full knowledgethat success can only be achievedthrough a collective effort. To thisend, we have committed ourselves tosparing no effort in discharging ourcollective responsibility of serving thepeople of South Africa.One of the innovations introduced bythe President as the Commander-in-Chief, in his State of Nation address,is the reconfiguring of the DODinto the Department of Defence andMilitary Veterans to ensure thatmilitary veterans are for the veryfirst time catered for (at Cabinetlevel). In implementing this decision,as Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, I appointed a Task Teamto develop policy recommendationsfor the future administration andmanagement of military veteransin the country. The Task Team waschaired by the Deputy Minister andwill be tabling its findings soon.We embrace this move as it is allinclusiveand will significantlyimprove the lives of our militaryveterans who have been neglected inthe past.Following this announcement,and observing the state of serviceconditions for our serving members,I commissioned an Interim NationalDefence Force Service Commission.This Commission was appointedon 2 October 2009 with the mandateto review the current generalconditions of service of members ofthe South African National DefenceForce (SANDF) and work towardsthe creation of a separate and newdispensation for the National DefenceForce. On 10 December 2009 theCommission handed over its report tothe Ministry of Defence and MilitaryVeterans. As the Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans I handed overthe report to the Commander-in-Chiefwho, after consideration, will tablethe report to the Cabinet for approval.Thereafter an announcement will bemade by the Commander-in-Chiefwith regard to the recommendationscontained in the report.I was delighted that the Commissionwas able to take on this oneroustask and I congratulate them on thecomprehensive and excellent reportthat they have produced.It must be emphasised that the SANDFis, and should always be, ready todefend the country and its people andcontribute towards the entrenchmentof our democracy. However, it is theDOD’s obligation to ensure that ourdedicated soldiers perform their dutiesunder favourable service conditions.On behalf of the leadership of theDOD we would like to thank all ourmembers for exercising patience withthe department and staying on coursein the service of the people of SouthAfrica. I want to assure every memberof the SANDF that we will continue tostrive to ensure that all members getwhat they deserve, and that they willcontinue to be proud of being part ofthis family.Last year, in support of othergovernment departments, the SANDFlent a hand to the Health Departmentduring the medical practitioners’ strike.The strike almost brought our country’shealth system to a complete halt.Our appreciation goes to all servingmembers who responded to this urgentcall and delivered us from an untenablesituation; indeed you did us proud.During the past year the countryjoined the SANDF in celebrating the10 th anniversary of its involvement inMs Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans.support of Government’s diplomaticendeavours aimed at eradicatingconflicts in the region and on thecontinent as a whole. We continue todo this work because South Africa’ssecurity, stability and economicdevelopment are linked to the stabilityof the entire African continent.Over the past ten years South Africa,through the SANDF, has participatedin peacekeeping missions in thefollowing countries: Burundi, theDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC),Lesotho, the Ivory Coast, the Unionof Comoros Islands, Ethiopia, Eritrea,Guinea Bissau and the Sudan. TheSANDF does this work conscious ofits responsibility as a member state ofthe Southern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC), the AfricanUnion (AU) and the United Nations(UN).The SANDF will continue to be amessenger of peace in promotingdemocracy on the African continentand will assist millions of tormentedAfricans to rebuild their lives. AsSouth Africans we are indeed gratefulto our men and women in uniformfor flying the flag of South Africa highand, with this celebration, we salutethem for their noble deeds in thequest for peace and security on ourcontinent and beyond.The people of our country have alot to look forward to this year asthe FIFA 2010 World Cup is finallyon our doorstep as the host country.We are ready to render support toGovernment to help our countrydeliver a safe, secure and unforgettableworld-class football spectacle.Ms Lindiwe SisuluMinister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, January2010 edition, page 10.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 15

S A S O L D I E R 2010 review of defenceA solid foundation is laid tohonour the military veteransSince assuming this appointmenta few months ago, I have beenawed and humbled by our menand women in uniform whoare carving out for themselvesa special place in South Africanhistory through their hard work. Theimpact of your work is significant andis recognised by our nation and theinternational community.I have been greatly impressed byyour professionalism, dedication andgenerous service, particularly whenthe DOD is requested to lend a helpinghand to other government departmentsin times of need, in support of ourpeople.In accordance with its commitmentto serve the people of our country,the DOD launched the MilitaryVeterans Association. Being a Veteranmyself I cannot begin to describethe satisfaction that this prospectbrings to ordinary people who havewholeheartedly and professionallyserved our country in an extraordinaryway.These men and women who sacrificedtheir lives and livelihoods to takepart in the struggle for freedom anda democratic order have not beenadequately and appropriately providedfor by the current system of militaryveterans’ benefits and services. Thesemilitary veterans and former freedomfighters have faced critical challengesas a result of factors such as inadequatepensions or a lack thereof, improperand insufficient housing, unsuccessfulreintegration and reskillingprogrammes, inappropriate honourand death benefits, and deterioratinghealth care, to mention just some oftheir critical needs. Indeed, we oweour freedom, democracy, constitution,peace, stability and respect for humanrights that we now enjoy in ourcountry to our military veterans. Theysacrificed their youth for the strugglefor our liberation. As such, these menand women should not be allowed tobecome estranged from the change theyfought for.The great work done by the TaskTeam will make the leadership ofthis Department sleep better atnight, knowing that the hard workand sacrifices of our forefathers,grandfathers, uncles, brothers andsisters will not only be acknowledgedby the laying of a wreath, but will nowform a permanent structure of ourGovernment in the DOD.It was not an easy road to travel, but itis pleasing to report that we are readyto present the final draft of the reportto the Minister in the near future. Iwould like to thank the Minister forturning the plight of Military Veteransthroughout the country, from all walksof life, into her passion. We thank herfor confronting this matter to the benefitof all previously excluded MilitaryVeterans.It is fitting to thank all members ofthe Ministerial Task Team on MilitaryVeterans for their time and commitmentin establishing this necessary entityin the DOD. Minister, know thatyour work has helped in laying asolid foundation to honour and serveveterans in life and memorialize themin death for their sacrifices on behalf ofthe nation.For many years there was a reluctanceto face a variety of difficult issuesregarding Military Veterans in thecountry. However, the speed andopenness with which this problemis being faced by the new Ministrysuggests that we are truly workingtowards the transformation of theDepartment. It takes a lot of moralcourage for the leadership of anorganisation to respond to a suggestionthat there is such a challenge byopening up and working towardsredressing it.Accordingly, this may be a huge step forthe Department of Defence and MilitaryMr Thabang Makwetla, DeputyMinister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans.Veterans in the right direction, butthere is still a long way to travel. Forthe new Military Veterans departmentto realise its purpose it needs to bewell nurtured by good governanceand professionalism to ensure an allencompassingadministration.In conclusion: as Chairman of the TaskTeam, I have every confidence that thenature and extent of the challengesrelating to Military Veterans havebeen captured fully in the report.As we begin the New Year, weshould do so with great sincerity andcommitment to our work. We mustalways remember the work done bypeople “before us” so that we canhonour them by working even harderto serve the people of our country.Mr Thabang MakwetlaDeputy Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, January2010 edition, page 11.)16 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2010 review of defenceMinister Sisulu visitedASB Western CapeS A S O L D I E RBy Chaplain (Rev) HannesSteenkampPhoto: S Sgt L.E. DlovaWhen the soldiers atArmy Support BaseWestern Cape andsurrounding militaryunits went to work on17 December 2009, theywere unaware of the opportunityand privilege they would havelater that day to meet the Ministerof Defence and Military Veterans,Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, in person. Shehas decided to visit some unitsinformally towards the end of eachyear to convey her festive seasongreetings in person and to thankthe soldiers for the hard work doneduring the year. This time it wasCape Town’s turn.Ms Sisulu was accompanied by theDeputy Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, Mr ThabangMakwetla, the then Chief of theSA Army, Lt Gen Solly Shoke (nowChief of the SANDF), and theGeneral Officer Commanding of theSA Army Support Formation, Maj GenStephan Marumo.The visit kicked off with a presentationby the Officer Commanding ASBWestern Cape, Col Peter Kobbie, on theactivities, successes and challenges ofthe base. The Minister took a specialinterest in the working and livingconditions of the soldiers and statedthat the upgrading of military facilitiesto an acceptable standard was apriority as it was a means of improvingthe commitment and productivity ofthe members of the DOD.The next stop was a meeting withabout 600 soldiers from differentServices and units in the WesternCape. An atmosphere of expectation,especially with regard to the salaryincreases, was tangible when shestepped into the hall. She did notdisappoint those present and, toenthusiastic applause, announcedthe pay increases in detail. Shealso explained the decision not toThe Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, andher Deputy Minister, Mr Thabang Makwetla, at the meeting held atArmy Support Base Western Cape.award performance incentives to afew members in 2009, but rather todistribute them equally among allsoldiers who had upheld the Codeof Conduct for Uniformed Personnelof the SANDF. It was done in thismanner to show the Department’sgratitude to all soldiers who had donetheir duty well.She emphasised that the payincreases were but the first phasein the improvement of the serviceconditions of soldiers. She is workingon the establishment of a permanentcommission along the lines of thePublic Service Commission. She statedthat die DOD was different from therest of the Public Service and neededits own dispensation. A draft billproviding for this commission hasbeen prepared for submission to theCabinet.In her speech she also announcedthat the SANDF would take overthe protection of the borders in 2010from the SA Police Service because itwas the constitutional mandate ofthe SANDF to protect the country.HIV positive members will in futurealso be deployed on peacekeepingmissions provided that they or othersare not put at risk.Ms Sisulu urged members to workwisely with the resources andfunds of the DOD. The financialmanagement of the Department mustimprove to address the repeatedlyraised concerns of the AuditorGeneral. If the Department canobtain unqualified audits, this can bea basis for securing more funds fromthe treasury. Every soldier must dohis or her part to achieve this goal.She ended her address by wishingeveryone well during the festiveseason and the coming year andreminded those present: “We carefor you!”(For more information please read thearticle as published SA Soldier, March2010 edition, page 12.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 17

S A S O L D I E R 2010 review of defenceThe opening of the DOD VIP LoungeBy Cpl Ally RakomaPhoto: Sgt Elias MahumaThe Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu,officially opened the DOD VIPLounge at the OR Tambo InternationalAirport in Johannesburg on 19 March2010. This well-established facility,incorporating African experience, isbacked by the warm hospitality andfriendly service of the professionalstaff of Defence Foreign Relations(DFR) and members of the MilitaryPolice Division.Declaring the facility open,Minister Sisulu asserted that smartpartnerships, building relationsand sharing vision between keygovernment sectors were veryimportant. She said: “There is muchmore that we could do to enhance thehospitality and pleasurable experienceof our international guests or foreignmilitary dignitaries. The establishmentof this facility is a gesture of solidarity,Ubuntu and humility.”The Minister congratulated MajGen Dan Mofokeng, the Chief of20 • M A Y 2 0 1 2Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, and Gen Godfrey Ngwenya,the then Chief of the SANDF, applauding afterthe unveiling of the plaque.Minister visits SAS Saldanha GymnasiumArticle and photo by Mr NdivhuwoMabaya, Director Media Liaison tothe MODThe Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu,has started a programme to visitunits of the SANDF to interact withsoldiers and the middle managementleadership and share with them theprogress made since May 2009.Minister Sisulu accompanied bythe Chairperson of the Joint StandingCommittee on Defence, Ms HlengiweMgabadeli, who is also a member ofthe Interim National Defence ForceService Commission and a delegationof advisers and senior officers of theSANDF, SA Navy and the Ministry,visited SAS Saldanha Gymnasium inSaldanha, Western Cape. Ms Sisulucalled on young people to consider acareer in the military and specialise inscare skills such as navigation, flying,engineering, diving and sailing.She said: “I am very proud thatduring the holidays learners from highschools learn to swim and do otherDefence Foreign Relations, and histeam, the Military Police and otherrole-players who worked tirelesslyin support of this initiative. MinisterSisulu proudly said: “I wish to say toyou all: it’s a journey worth taking. Aswe prepare ourselves for the 2010 FIFAWorld Cup spectacle this brings withit a degree of regional and continentalresponsibility. Put South Africa and theThe Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu (middle),with Military Skills Development Systemmembers.training as part of their leadership anddevelopment programme in your units.We need more youth to pass throughDOD firmly in thespotlight.”Maj GenMofokeng said:“This is aninternationalfacility in thediplomatic fieldin line withinternationalstandards. It is aproject not only ofthe DOD, but alsoof our country,as we are part ofthe internationalsolidarity. It is avery importantinstallation. TheSANDF is involved in co-operatingwith the militaries of othercountries. It is imperative for us toproject the right image when wereceive the Generals and Admiralsarriving and departing from ourshores.”(For more information please readthe article as published in SA Soldier,May 2010 edition, page 14.)the SANDF before theycontinue with their adultlife.” The Minister indicatedthat the current MilitarySkills Development System(MSDS) which takes over5 000 young people everyyear will be enhancedwith the aim of offeringscarce skills and varioustraining opportunities forthe youth. She said: “TheMSDS has shown over thepast year that the SANDFcan contribute effectivelyby addressing the skillsshortages in the countryand creating jobs. Last yearwe took over 5 000 youngpeople into the SANDF; weare training them in scarceskills, and at the same timewe pay them to supportthemselves and theirfamilies.”(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, May2010 edition, page 15.)

2010 review of defenceDOD closes gaps onservice deliveryS A S O L D I E RBy L Cpl Itumeleng MakhubelaPhotos: Sgt Elias MahumaThe Department of Defence(DOD), in conjunction with theDepartment of Public Works,has completed the constructionof three bridges in the EasternCape villages of Lefukufukunear Tsomo, Ntafufu, at Port StJohns and Daluhlanga near MountAyliff. The 16 th of March 2010 saw theopening of the newly constructedbridges by the Deputy Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans, MrThabang Makwetla, accompanied bythe then Minister of Public Works,Mr Geoff Doidge, and the MEC forRoads and Transport in the EasternCape, Ms Pemmy Majodina. MrMakwetla indicated that this was apilot project of the SANDF aimed attesting its capacity and capability tolend assistance to other governmentdepartments in support of the people.The MEC of Roads and Transport, Ms Pemmy Majodina, cuts theribbon of a completed bridge at Tsomo, while the Deputy Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans, Mr Thabang Makwetla (left), and thethen Minister of Public Works, Mr Geoff Doidge, look on.He added that this intervention bythe DOD came after a request bythe Department of Public Worksfor assistance following concernsexpressed by the communities in theseareas that during floods they wouldbe cut off from services and childrenwould be unable to go to school.Many municipalities in these ruralareas do not have sufficient fundsand expertise to provide services forthese communities, which has ledto the huge backlog in the deliveryof services. The DOD intervened byproviding the expertise, manpowerand equipment for the construction ofthe bridges.The MEC of Roads and Transportin the Eastern Cape expressed hergratitude to all the stakeholders thathad worked together to realise thegoal. Along with the ministers, sheaffirmed that this would not endthere, but would be extended to otherareas in need. Mr Makwetla addedthat this was an opportunity for theDepartment to optimise collateralsocio-economic capabilities to providefor service delivery. Many divisionsin the SANDF are underutilised, andthis was a way to take advantage ofthe available resources to assist withdevelopment.At the beginning of the project the thenActing Chief of Joint Operations, MajGen Mbulelo Tshiki, led a delegation toinspect the progress in the constructionof the last bridge, the one in theUmzimvubu Municipality. He said:“The significance of building bridges,especially in rural areas of our country,cannot be overemphasised. Apart fromserving as a connecting point for thedelivery of essential commodities forthe survival of people in rural areas,bridges also serve as a means to reducethe fatality rate during floods in ourcommunities.”The municipal speaker, Mr SiphoTshekela, said the river had had anegative impact on their communityfor a long time and that it had claimedover nine lives in recent times. He saidthat their municipality had low budgetrevenue. However, with the help ofthe Department of Public Works theyhad approached the DOD about theconstruction of a bridge.It took 32 men approximately fourweeks to construct a suspensionbridge over the Daluhlanga River.The team leader from 1 ConstructionRegiment, Capt Marinus Engelbreght,said his men were dedicated and hadthe necessary expertise to completethe objective. They started working on16 February 2010 and completed thebridge by mid-March 2010.Chief Daluhlanga Jojo, who rules thetwo villages separated by the river,expressed his gratitude on behalf ofhis people. The often flooding riverhas caused enormous damage tothe Lubaleko and Cabazana villagesduring the rainy season. Chief Jojosaid this would bring relief to hispeople.(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, May2010 edition, pages 16 and 17.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 21

2010 review of defenceOperation Litchi10 years down the lineS A S O L D I E RBy Kgabo MashamaitePhoto: Sgt Elias MahumaRosita Mabuiango (10) andher mother, Ms Sofia Chiure,were the guests of honour atthe Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans’ budget voteon 4 May 2010 in Parliament,Cape Town, where Minister LindiweSisulu announced that the SANDF hadformally adopted Rosita, and would becontributing towards her educationalcosts and other costs related to herupbringing.On 1 March 2000 the villagers in theGaza Province in Mozambique woke upto a flood that was endangering not onlytheir village, but other nearby villagesas well. Torrential rain had resultedin the river overflowing its banks andinundating the surrounding area.Owing to a lack of capacity andresources to rescue strandedvillagers, Mozambique requested theSouth African Government to offerhumanitarian assistance. The rescuemission, called Operation Litchi, wasundertaken in response to the request.The decision to send SANDF membersto the distressed villages in GazaProvince had a positive impact onthe people being evacuated from thedeadly floods. When this missionwas broadcast and published onthe international media the worldwitnessed the bravery, humanity andempathy that the SANDF had for theless fortunate in times of difficulty. AnOryx helicopter of the SA Air Force, oneof four deployed on the Operation Litchirescue mission, was seen hovering overa tree to rescue a newborn baby and hermother.That tiny little bundle is today a bright10-year old, Rosita Mabuiango, whose33-year-old mother, Ms Sofia Chiure,made headlines after giving birth in atree during the raging floods.During the announcement in herbudget vote, Minister Sisulu said thatRosita represented something uniquelygood about the SANDF, including itshumanity, bravery, skilful techniquesand the values inculcated in themembers of the SANDF.“I am grateful for the SANDF’s helpduring the floods in our country,Mozambique. It is due to it that weare alive today.” Rosita is a clever girland excels in her schooling and enjoysPortuguese. “Her peers regard her asa national symbol and a heroine forhaving triumphed over the devastatingfloods in 2000, and it is because ofher that the world has come to knowabout our plight and that the SA AirForce assisted us,” said Ms Chiure whothanked the Government of SouthAfrica for sending the SANDF to hercountry to rescue its citizens from thefloods.(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, June2010 edition, pages 16 and 17.)Fltr: Ms Sofia Chiure (Rosita Mabuiango’s mother), WO2 Tshifiwa Nengovhela (a SAMHS Medic), RositaMabuiango (10-year-old), Ms Lindiwe Sisulu (Minister of Defence and Military Veterans), and Lt GenCarlo Gagiano (Chief of the SA Air Force) during the 2010 Minister’s Budget Vote.M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 23

2010 review of defenceMilitary Veterans honouredfor their contributionS A S O L D I E RBy L Cpl Itumeleng Makhubela andMr Thabo ShirindaPhoto: Sgt Elias MahumaThe democratic state of ourcountry can, among otherreasons, be attributed to theMilitary Veterans, who over theyears have sacrificed their livesto rebuild the nation.In an attempt to compensate themthe Department of Military Veteranswas officially launched at the DenelCampus in Centurion on 30 April 2010.It was a jovial affair as the Ministerof Defence and Military Veterans,Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, and her Deputy,Mr Thabang Makwetla, formallyannounced the existence of the newdepartment.Months of hard work by a team led byMr Makwetla finally led to an idea,which unfolded in what we have asthe Department of Military Veterans.It was an idea the Commander-in-Chief of the SANDF, President JacobZuma, had when he established theDepartment of Military Veterans.The Deputy Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans gave an overviewof the department’s structure andits directives. The launch was theculmination of long discussions anddebates. It had been incumbent uponthe Commission to draft policiesthat best suited the challenges of themilitary veterans. The solution wouldthen have been to attempt to resolvethe issues of the past, the present andthe future.Mr Makwetla said these policiesshould be relevant to the young andin accordance with their background.He mentioned, however, that theresolutions were mainstream as theyaddressed socio-economic issues aswell. The Department will also be aABOVE: The Director-General of the newly launched Department ofMilitary Veterans, Mr Tsepe Motumi, unveils the logo with the Ministerof Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu.platform to launch a career of choiceand the Deputy Minister has pledgedhis support.The former Acting Secretary forDefence, Mr Tsepe Motumi, wasappointed as the Director-General ofthe new department. After years ofstruggle to be recognised the MilitaryVeterans now have a department todeal specifically with their challenges.The President of the SA MilitaryVeterans Association (SAMVA), MrKelby Mphatso, emphasised the factthat it was an honour for them to getrecognition and to have a platform toexpress their issues.He expressed his heartfelt gratitudeat the launch of the newly establisheddepartment. He said that theywould continually meet to discusstheir organisational growth andempowerment. After their relentlessstruggle to achieve their goal, they arehonoured finally to be recognised fortheir efforts.On behalf of the SAMVA he pleadedfor peace and co-operation with thenew department so that consensuscould be reached on mattersaffecting them. Mr Sandi Sijake ofthe Veterans League commendedthe outcome and proclaimed this along travelled journey. In support ofthe military veterans he said historyhad been made and they were merelyadding to it. He was also hopefulthat the department would meet itsexpectations and pledged his totalsupport.(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, June2010 edition, page 22.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 25

S A S O L D I E R 2010 review of defenceMinister improves SANDFservice conditionsBy Mr Kgabo MashamaitePhoto: Sgt Elias MahumaMembers of the Air Force Base(AFB) Makhado will cherish19 April 2010 as a specialday in their careers and thehistory of their unit afterthe Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu,visited them.The aim of the visit was for theMinister to interact with SANDFmembers and get first-hand experienceof the conditions under which theyoperate. This was also one of manytrips the Minister had scheduled tovisit SANDF bases countrywide.During the ministerial inspection ofthe AFB Makhado facilities, she wasintroduced to the basics of operatinga Hawk Mk 120 combat fighter jetby means of a simulator trainingprogramme presented at 85 CombatFlying School, one of the flagshipsof the SA Air Force combat trainingfacilities, which trains fighter pilots tomake South African airspace amongthe safest in the world.Addressing the media after herinteraction with the soldiers, MinisterSisulu said that through the InterimDefence Force Service Commissionthat was established to improve theservice conditions of the SANDFmembers, her Department wascommitted to addressing challengesthat the soldiers experienced inexecuting their duties. She said: “Inmy interaction with our soldiers I havehad an opportunity to understandtheir service conditions and haveaddressed certain task executionrelated challenges.”She assured the soldiers thatmanagement was doing all it couldto address urgently these challengesto provide the necessary serviceto the country as mandated by theconstitution.Minister Sisulu added that her visit toThe Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, MsLindiwe Sisulu, addressing the media at the pressconference during her visit to AFB Makhado on 19April 2010. (At her side is her spokesperson, MrNdivhuwo Mabaya.)different SANDF units would also helpher Department have an insight intothe complexities of running a modernand highly sophisticated SANDF,especially with the conditions broughtabout by the economic downturn.She said: “Talking to our soldiers I alsoassured them that the Governmentwas committed to addressing theirchallenges despite the unfavourableglobal economic conditions andcreating an environment in which theSANDF became the first career choiceto aspirant youth, with attractivesalary packages and excellent careerpathing as a means to rejuvenateand modernise the National DefenceForce. Contrary to the reports that oursoldiers are living under appallingconditions, I found the AFB Makhadofacilities one of the best and alsoencouraged them to look after andmaintain their amenities.”The media team during the ministerialvisit were introduced to thepreparations of a combat ready pilot,whose taskwas to securethe country’sairspace byinterceptingunidentifiedaircraft. Lastyear, duringOperationKgwele, suchpilots wereemployed tosafeguard theConfederationsCup stadiums.According toBrig Gen JohnBayne, DirectorCombat Systems,the SA AirForce was readyto safeguardthe country’sairspace duringthe FIFA SoccerWorld Cup from11 June to 11July 2010. Brig Gen Bayne confirmedthat the SA Air Force deployed quite anumber of aircraft to help in patrollingour airspace. He stated that the Gripenfighter jet with the capability ofproviding an airborne radar systemwould be utilised for both the WorldCup and border patrol duties.According to Brig Gen Bayne the SAAir Force will work closely with theAir Transport Navigation Systemsto intercept suspicious aircraftcruising in the red zones (closer to theWorld Cup venues). “We have beensuccessful in this because duringthe Confederations Cup last year wemanaged to escort a light passengeraircraft that flew in the demarcatedzone and we rerouted it to LanseriaAirport. We subsequently handedit over to the South African PoliceService, as it was called then,” BrigGen Bayne said.(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, June2010 edition, page 24.)26 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2010 review of defenceUnderstanding theDefence Amendment BillS A S O L D I E RBy Prof Sipho Seepe, StrategyConsultant and Special Adviser tothe Minister of DefenceAn appreciation of the currentDefence AmendmentBill would be incompletewithout locating it within theconstitutional mandate anddevelopments in the everchangingdefence environment.The South African Constitutionis deliberate and unambiguouswith regard to its expectationsof the National Defence Force. Itpurposefully enjoins us to establish adefence force that is “structured andmanaged as a disciplined militaryforce.” The emphasis on disciplineis obvious. Without discipline theDefence Force would be unable tofulfil its primary function of defendingand protecting the Republic, itsterritorial integrity and its peoplein accordance with the Constitutionand the principles of internationallaw regulating the use of force.This translates into defending andprotecting our critical interests,supporting our foreign policy byassisting our allies and supportingpeace operations on the continent.In addition, the Defence Force helpsto beef up the civil power throughthe support it gives to the police,including border protection, disasteror emergency relief.More often this responsibility involvesexposure to enormous personal risksand sacrifices arising from heavyoperational commitments. Membersof the SANDF are expected to spendlarge amounts of time away fromhome on back-to-back deployments.To the extent that they bear theresponsibility as the last defence ofour democracy, they are our ultimateinsurance policy against any threatwithin or outside the country. For theirsake, and ours, we must preserve theircalibre and morale.It does not take much to appreciatethat their commitment cannot bereduced to issues of pay. There areother intangibles such as pride in theservice of one’s country and “enjoymentof a lifestyle that involves adventuroustraining and activities [that] makeremuneration only one of many factorsthat motivate personnel”.In her budget vote of 2009, the Ministerof Defence and Military Veterans, MsLindiwe Sisulu, sought to underscorethis very issue when she said: “Iwant to assure Defence Force staffthat their conditions of service are aconcern … We are acutely aware thatthe state of readiness of the SANDFdepends primarily on the morale of oursoldiers”.She went further and said: “Weare considering making a requestfor a separate dispensation for theDepartment of Defence that wouldallow us to deal creatively with ourown needs and the specificities of ourown unique security requirements.”All these commitments, which arethe subject of the present bill beforeparliament, were undertaken tomotivate the DOD’s personnel andencourage recruitment and retention.The Ministry of Defence and MilitaryVeterans has gone a long way towardsestablishing a different dispensation.The concept was approved by Cabinet.It also approved the regulatorymechanism to govern and overseethe dispensation, which allows us toaccommodate the unique nature ofthe Defence Force. It is precisely forthis reason that we demand and takeextraordinary measures to enforcediscipline. Soldiers are not tied to thestate by an employment contract, but byan oath.The new dispensation presents thecreative space to respond innovativelyto the unique challenges of the DefenceForce. It has used the space to developan HIV and Aids policy that uniquelyresponds to its circumstances. Itis a matter of public record that itspolicy on HIV and AIDS is not onlyprecedent setting, but is consideredthe most progressive in the world.The present bill, which serves toamend the Defence Act of 2002, is theculmination of a process that startedwith the Minister’s 2009 budget vote.Three critical concerns are beingpresented: the first is the establishmentof the permanent Service Commissionto replace the current Interim SouthAfrican National Defence ServiceCommission (INDFSC). Contrary tomisrepresentations, the bill beforeparliament has been drafted by theINDFSC. Credit (and in some casescriticism) is due to their sterling work.The second amendment relatesto remedying the lacunae in thelegislation. The Constitution refers tothe President having the responsibility,among others, of appointing themilitary command. However, nodefinition is provided in the legislationof what the military is or entails.The last aspect of the bill dealswith the empowering of the Chiefof the SANDF to recall members ofthe Reserve Force. At the momentmembers of the Reserve Force canonly be recalled when the country isat war or during a state of emergency.As a resource, they are underutilisedand their combat readiness is severelycompromised. The bill aims to remedythis situation inasmuch as it respondspositively to their request to berecalled for service when the Chief ofthe SANDF deems fit.Far from wanting to assume dictatorialpowers, the Ministry of Defenceand Military Veterans is taking allthe necessary steps to ensure that itdelivers on its mandate of structuringand managing a professional,disciplined Defence Force in theservice of the country and the nation.(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, July2010 edition, page 12.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 27

S A S O L D I E R2010 review of defenceMOD visit to embattledhospitalsBy Lufuno NetshirembePhoto: Sgt Elias MahumaChapter 11 section 200 (2) of theSouth African Constitutionfocuses on the security servicesof the country: “The primaryobjective of the SANDF isto defend and protect theRepublic, its territorial integrityand its people in accordance withthe Constitution and the principlesof international law regulating theuse of force”. The Constitution asthe supreme law of the our countrystipulates in section 201 (2) that amongother political responsibilities theSANDF can be employed to assistany State department and so help theGovernment discharge its duties.Since the beginning of the PublicService labour action the SANDF hasdeployed more than 3 500 soldiersto different hospitals to assist theDepartment of Health in renderingmedical service and providing securitysupport with the South African PoliceService (SAPS).This assistance was rendered asprescribed in section 18 of Chapter3 of the Defence Act, Act 42 of 2002,section 18 (1). It explicitly stipulatesthat: “In addition to the employmentof the Defence Force by the presidentas contemplated in section 201 (2)of the constitution, the presidentor the minister may authorise theemployment of the Defence Forcefor service inside the Republic or ininternational waters, in order to (a)preserve life, health or property inemergency or humanitarian reliefoperations, (b) ensure provision ofessential services, (c) support anydepartment of state, including supportfor the purpose of socio-economicupliftment and, (d) effect nationalborder control”.In Gauteng the SANDF members weredeployed in Natalspruit, Chris HaniBaragwanath, Helen Joseph, Kalafongand George Mukhari (Ga-Rankuwa)hospitals. In KwaZulu-Natal soldierswere deployed in King Edward,Mahatma Ghandi Memorial and ChiefAlbert Luthuli hospitals. In the NorthWest: Brits and Bophelong hospitals.In Limpopo: Van Vreden Hospital. InMpumalanga: Witbank, Tonga, kwaMhlanga, Mapulaneng, Rob Ferreiraand Ermelo hospitals. In the EasternCape: Dora Nginza and Livingstonehospitals.On 23 August 2010 the Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans, MsLindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Health,Mr Aaron Motsoaledi, the then Chief ofthe SA Army, Lt Gen Solly Shoke (nowChief of the SANDF), and the SurgeonGeneral, Lt Gen Vejay Ramlakan,visited the Chris Hani BaragwanathHospital in Soweto and the GeorgeMukhari Hospital in Ga-Rankuwa tofind out first-hand the situation at thesehospitals. This visit was meant to helpthe Ministers of Defence and MilitaryVeterans and Health decide on the nextstep. The Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans was not happy withthe situation at these two hospitalsshe visited. “This situation broughtabout by the strikers is completelyunacceptable. We have a constitutionalmandate to protect Governmentfacilities and we will execute thismandate,” said Minister Sisulu. Sheassured the non-striking doctors whowere afraid of being victimised by thestrikers that the military would doeverything in its power to protect them.This protection included patients andThe Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, comforts one ofthe patients who was worried about the strikeat George Mukhari (Ga-Rankuwa) Hospital.nurses who put their moral obligationto serve first before their right tostrike.The Spokesman of Minister Sisulu,Mr Ndivhuwo Mabaya, said they haddeployed more than 130 personnel atGeorge Mukhari Hospital and over70 at the Chris Hani BaragwanathHospital. Minister Sisulu wasadamant that she would increase themilitary personnel at any hospitalshould the need arise. She said thepatients needed to be confident thatthey could go to the hospital and beattended by either the SA MilitaryHealth Service (SAMHS) membersor the non-striking nurses. Whendoctors residing in the medicaluniversity hostels close to the hospitalpremises told Minister Sisulu thatthey had received threats, sheimmediately issued an instructionthat the military personnel needed tomake sure that they were protectedfrom any harm.She told the media that theDepartment of Defence, theDepartment of Health and the SAPSwere doing all they could to reducethe stress on the non-striking medicalworkers. These three departments hadestablished a toll-free helpline wheredistressed medical workers couldcall in case they were threatened,and help could then bedispatched.The Minister of Healthwas quite pleasedwith the presence ofsoldiers at Baragwanathand George Mukharihos-pitals. He praisedthe soldiers for doingan excellent joband thanked MinisterSisulu for herwillingness to callupon more soldiers forassistance and for thetoll-free helpline.(For more informationplease read the article aspublished in SA Soldier,October 2010 edition,pages 14 and 15.)28 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2010 review of defenceS A S O L D I E RSA Air Force boasts the firstfemale Gripen pilot in the worldBy Cpl Itumeleng MakhubelaPhoto: S Sgt Lebogang TlhaoleThe SA Air Force can boastof its having produced thefirst female Gripen fighterjet pilot in the world – MajCatherine Labuschagne. Withover 12 years of service inthe SA Air Force Maj Labuschagnehas approximately 1 900 flyinghours to her credit, 1 000 of these inmilitary jets. “This is fantastic forme; and I am excited,” remarked MajLabuschagne.“It’s amazing what you can do withthe aircraft, but you need to bepersistent and work hard.” In 2004,after joining 85 Combat Flying Schoolin Hoedspruit, Maj Labuschagne hadan opportunity to become the firstfemale fighter pilot in the world to flyin the back-seat of the Swedish builtGripen fighter jet at the opening of theAfrica Aerospace and Defence (AAD)Exhibition.In 2010 she did her fist solo flight ina Gripen. Three male Gripen fighterpilots qualified at Air Force BaseMakhado with Maj Labuschagne.The four of them completed theirOperational Conversion Course inwhich they flew solo in Gripens on 7October 2010.Maj Labuschagne, Maj LanceMathebula, Lt Kevin Chetty and LtCol Gys van der Walt will form a poolof fighter pilots. They have paved theway for up-and-coming talents. TheOperations Officer of 2 Squadron, LtCol Musa Mbhokota, indicated duringa briefing that their objective wasto define excellence in multi-role aircombat operations by the way theyconducted themselves.The Squadron has proved itscapability judging by its performanceduring World War II in Europe andAfrica, and later in Korea. Gripentraining comprises an integratedtraining system that includesclassroom attendance,computer training systemsand the actual flying. Theunit has built a Gripensimulation-training centrethat allows the students tohave a virtual experience ofa flight.Gripen courses includethe flight leader course,operational conversion courseand the flight attack course.The Officer Commandingof AFB Makhado, Brig GenChris Delport, said theunit was responsible formanaging fighter aircraft.The fleet of 15 Gripens (9with dual seats and 6 withsingle seats) are utilisedfor specialised combatoperations and exercises.He pointed out that MajLabuschagne as a Gripenpilot was an achievement forwomen flying these jets.Three of the four Gripen fighter jet pilots leaving the hangar after landingtheir Gripens, fltr: Lt Kevin Chetty, Maj Catherine Labuschagne and Lt ColGys van der Walt. (Maj Lance Mathebula was in Sweden when the photowas taken.)(For more information pleaseread the article as published inSA Soldier, November 2010edition, page 17.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 29

S A S O L D I E R2011 review of defenceThe Interim National DefenceForce Service CommissionreportBy Lufuno NetshirembePhoto: Sgt Elias MahumaThe Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans, MsLindiwe Sisulu, announcedthe release of the InterimNational Defence Force ServiceCommission (INDFSC) reportat the Union Buildings in Pretoria on25 November 2010.In a short space of time after MinisterSisulu was appointed by PresidentJacob Zuma as the Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans itbecame apparent that the SANDFhad many problems that needed to besolved. Some of these problems werehighlighted when a small numberof soldiers demonstrated theirdiscontent at the Union Buildings.The immediate response of the DODwas to find an “avant-garde modusoperandi” to address grievances.The problems in the SANDF werenot going to be easy to solve, but MsSisulu was equally determined todeal with these problems effectivelyand efficiently.In October 2009 the INDFSCwas established to deal with thefollowing: (1) the unique challengesof the SANDF that fall outside theambit of the Public Service; (2) toadvise on a regulatory framework forunique service dispensation; and (3)to investigate and provide advice orrecommendations on conditions ofservice for members of the SANDF.The Minister highlighted the fourcategories that the recommendationsby the interim commission fell under:(i) recommendations that requiredCabinet approval (ie budgetaryconsiderations and executiveresponsibilities that needed tomigrate from one department to theother) (ii) those that the Ministercould attend to as part of her workand responsibilities as a member ofthe Executive (iii) those that couldFltr: The then Minister of Public Works, Ms Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde, and the Acting Chairperson of the Interim NationalDefence Force Service Commission, Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana,listen to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms LindiweSisulu, during the question and answer session.be addressed by either or both theSecretary for Defence and the Chief ofthe SANDF, and (iv) those that relatedto the Military Service Commission.The ten-member commission waschaired by Judge R. Bosielo with MrA. Ismail as the Deputy Chairperson.Other commission members were LtGen (Ret) L. Moloi, Maj Gen (Ret) B.H.Holomisa, Mr P.J. Groenewald, Ms H.C.Mgabadeli, Dr A. Mokgokong, BishopM.M. Mpumlwana, Prof R.L. Christieand Mr Z.T. Ngcakani.The Acting Chairperson, BishopMpumlwana, announced that theCommission had handed its finalreport to the Minister on 16 November2010, one month earlier than thescheduled date of delivery. Amongother issues that the Commission hadto deal with were issues relating tothe Defence Budget, infrastructure,Health Service Support, a grievancemechanism, Military SkillsDevelopment System (MSDS)recruitment and military careers.The then Minister of Public Works,Ms Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde,confirmed that the Department ofDefence and Military Veterans hadrequested an overhaul of the militaryfacilities. She said her departmentwas giving soldiers’ accommodationpriority attention.Since the INDFSC was establishedsome of its recommendations wereimplemented immediately and theresults of the commissioners’ tasksand recommendation have indeedbrought much needed change to thelives of South African soldiers.(Previously published in SA Soldier,January 2011 edition, page 16.)30 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2011 review of defenceArmed Forces celebratedS A S O L D I E Rdisappointed when called upon todischarge their duties at home. Heapplauded the SANDF’s unwaveringdedication to the country and itspeople.He mentioned that there was a needfor SANDF members to exercisediscipline, commitment, reliabilityand dependability and that theseattributes were non-negotiables.President Zuma said: “We reiterate toothat our soldiers are not ordinary civilservants who are guided by the PublicService Act. Precisely because of thisunique situation of our soldiers, theyrequire special attention, which weare working on as Government.”Fltr: The Commander-in-Chief, President Jacob Zuma, the Ministerof Defence and Military Veterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, and the DeputyMinister of Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Thabang Makwetla,paying tribute to members of the SANDF and the military veterans onArmed Forces Day at the Thaba Tshwane City Hall.By Cpl Ally RakomaPhoto: Sgt Elias Mahuma16December is aday dedicated tounity, healing andreconciliation. The dayalso reminds us of allthe wars of resistance,wars of liberation and conflicts SouthAfrica has gone through and that wewere once a nation divided whosepeople were at war against each otherfor many decades.It was fitting that the Commanderin-Chief,President Jacob Zuma,the Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, Ms LindiweSisulu, the Deputy Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans,Mr Thabang Makwetla, the thenChief of the SANDF, Gen GodfreyNgwenya, and Service Chiefs wereable to commemorate NationalReconciliation Day with members ofthe SANDF at an event called ArmedForces Day.The Programme Director, the Ministerof Arts and Culture, Mr Paul Mashatile,welcomed the President, members ofCabinet, dignitaries, and guests fromforeign countries to rejoice with theSANDF, military veterans and therainbow nation.Armed Forces Day was a dignified,ceremonious event that will lingerin the memories of members of theSANDF, military veterans, dignitaries,guests and the public who made thetime to come to Thaba Tshwane CityHall in Pretoria for the address of theCommander-in-Chief to the soldiersand nation.Speaking at the Armed Forces Day atThaba Tshwane, President Zuma saidthat the SANDF was the country’slast line of defence, and the men andwomen of the SANDF had neverPresident Zuma said that theGovernment had created theDepartment of Military Veteranswithin the defence portfolio to takecare of military veterans’ affairs, thushelping us finally to formalise supportfor the military veterans. He reiteratedthat some of the military veterans whohad fought with all they had to breakthe shackles of the apartheid systemwere today largely destitute. However,he said a number of departments,including Human Settlements, SocialDevelopment, Arts and Culture andthe Government Employees PensionFund had been roped in to assist themilitary veterans.In conclusion, President Zumamentioned that he had signed into lawthe Defence Amendment Bill which,among others, manages all the affairsof the SANDF.16 December 2010 was an appropriatetime to recall that the new SANDFwas formed through the integration ofvarious armed forces to unite formerenemies in an integrated force. Theday was also marked to pay tribute tothe military veterans.(For more information please read thepublished in SA Soldier, January 2011edition, pages 18 and 19.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 31

S A S O L D I E R2011 review of defenceDefence contributes towardsskills developmentArticle and photo by S SgtLebogang TlhaoleThe Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans, MsLindiwe Sisulu, welcomedand bade good luck to 4000 young men and womenwho had complied with andbeen accepted for the first intakeof the Military Skills DevelopmentSystem (MSDS) for 2011 at the ThabaTshwane Sports Ground on 9 January2011.The MSDS remains the primarymechanism through which the DODcontributes towards structuredmilitary skills development,occupational functional skillsdevelopment and leadershipdevelopment among the youth.The aim of the MSDS is twofold,namely to enhance the SANDF’smission-readiness through thesystematic rejuvenation of its humanresource composition, which is donethrough annual intakes of young,fit and healthy people. Secondly, theMSDS serves as the feeder system forthe Reserves and seeks to providescarce skills for the youth of thecountry to enable them to contributemeaningfully to the growth of thecountry.The MSDS recruits will be divided,as per organisational requirements,into the four Services of the SANDF,namely the SA Army, the SA AirForce, the SA Navy and the SAMilitary Health Service. They willundergo six months of Basic MilitaryTraining. Deserving MSDS membersare afforded an opportunity tochoose training in specific careers,e.g. as engineers, pilots, surveyors.The SANDF has become a traininginstitution of choice foremployers such as the SAPolice Service, Transnet,the aviation industry andengineering as it is able totake in young people, trainand empower them withthe necessary skills, andmake them available todifferent sectors. This is theDOD’s contribution to skillsdevelopment said MinisterSisulu when she welcomedthe class of 2011.She wished all therecruits well, as theywere embarking on anunforgettable journey.Minister Sisulu mentionedthat the DOD was aunique family and prideditself on discipline andcommitment. MinisterSisulu said: “We buildtomorrow’s leaders”. Thenshe thanked the parents forallowing their children tojoin the SANDF and to bepart of the military family.Speaking to SA Soldier,23-year-old Wayne Olivierfrom Randburg and18-year-old Tiaan vanSchalkwyk said they werevery happy and honouredto have been chosen toserve their country and tobe counted among thoseserving in uniform. Theyconcluded by saying theywould give their utmostbest to remain in this nobleprofession.(For more information pleaseread the published article inSA Soldier, January 2011edition, pages 20 and 21.)Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans, hugs and kissesone of the recruits as she welcomes herinto the unique military family.32 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2011 review of defenceS A S O L D I E RMOU signing ceremonybetween SA and ArgentinaArticle and photo by WO1 MannyGounden, the then PRO NavalStation DurbanHistory was made whenthe representativesof the Governmentsof South Africa andArgentina formallysigned a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU) on defence cooperationand military development.The signing ceremony was heldon board SAS DRAKENSBERG inBuenos Aires on 20 November 2010.The Chief of the SA Navy, V AdmJohannes Mudimu, the DirectorMaritime Plans, R Adm (JG) SagrenPillay, Flag Captain, Capt (SAN)Andre Katernic, and the DefenceAttaché, Capt (SAN) Lesley Johnson,were present at the signing ceremony.The South African Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans, MsLindiwe Sisulu, and the ArgentineMinister of Defence, Ms Nilda CeliaGarre, formally signed the MOU.The MOU included an additionalprotocol on the protection ofclassified information exchangedbetween the parties within theframework of the MOU agreement.The agreement will strengthen cooperationin the areas of trainingand search and rescue operationsin the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Thetwo countries will also co-operatein the exchange of students, defencescience, technology and industrialdevelopment.In her address, Minister Sisulu said:“Madame Minister, you and I comefrom a generation of militants whofought for a just cause. Therefore,I feel a profound pride in that twowomen are signing the MOU today.I am convinced that this symbolicThe South African Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, MsLindiwe Sisulu, meets the Chief of the Argentine Navy, Adm JorgeOmar Godoy, while the Chief of the SA Navy, V Adm JohannesMudimu, and the Argentine Minister of Defence, Dr Nilda Celia Garre,look on.act will allow for greater co-operationin the Southern Atlantic Ocean. It hasbeen a lonely environment for me till Imet you. We as women have ‘that’ withwhich no one can compete.”The agreement allows for anexchange of technology, innovation,military health development and forparticipation in joint training exercisesand partnerships to co-ordinate searchand rescue operations in the SouthernAtlantic Ocean.The two countries also agreed toexplore areas of defence, industrialco-operation in the aviation, avionics,command and control communications,air-to-air missile technology,grenade launchers and maritimeenvironments.Both Ministers agreed that the threatof conflict between nations had almostdisappeared and that new threatsand challenges of a special type hademerged to challenge the stability andsecurity of nations. The most obviousof these are terrorism, piracy on thehigh seas, the proliferation of nuclearweapons among rogue countries,biological and chemical weapons,cyber-warfare, resource scarcity andclimate change.(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, January2011 edition, pages 22 and 23.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 33

S A S O L D I E R 2011 review of defenceHeeding the President’scall for job creationArticle and photo by S SgtLebogang TlhaoleIn support of the Government’sdrive to achieve more with less,more partnerships are pursuedwith other organs of state to assistin the delivery of the justifiablesocio-economic needs of ruralareas and those at local level.The vision of the Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans, Ms LindiweSisulu, to establish a National YouthService was further enhanced when500 youths from the country’s eightprovinces received their certificatesat a function held at the Departmentof Defence Mobilisation Centre at DeBrug near Bloemfontein on 17 March2011.The youth were recruited by theDepartment of Rural Developmentand Land Reform and secondedto the Department of Defence fora seven-week foundation phaseof pilot training. This speciallydesigned foundational training of anon-military nature was intended totrain the youth in, among others, selfdiscipline,patriotism, civic educationand civic participation (voluntarism).Mr Gugile Nkwinti, Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform,accompanied by Lt Gen Derick Mgwebi, the then Chief of HumanResources (now Chief of Joint Operations), congratulating thefirst group of the National Rural Youth Service Corps who havesuccessfully completed their course.This programme is called theNational Rural Youth Service Corps(NARYSEC), the main goal of whichis to recruit and develop a NationalRural Youth Service Corps of membersaged between 18 and 35 years to betrained to perform community servicein their own communities.The NARYSEC is a Government effortto curb migration to urban areas witha view to dealing with the escalatinglevels of service delivery protest actionand high levels of unemploymentthat are prevalent among the youthand people in rural areas and toreskill young citizens. It is thereforeanother opportunity for economicparticipation through maintenance ofexisting infrastructure.The focus of the programme is youthdevelopment in the rural areas and theneed to address the challenges of a lackof skills and unemployment.During her Budget Vote speech on4 May 2010, the Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans announced herintention to introduce a bill that wouldprovide the necessary legal frameworkfor the creation of a National YouthService. In this regard the DOD hasembarked on a public consultativeprocess to solicit inputs from variousdefence stakeholders, particularlyyouth formations.Once established, the National YouthService will, among others, seekto address the challenges of youthunemployment. This will be done byensuring that all youth are introducedto the Department of Defence’sfacilities where they will be offeredskills to build on.(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, April2011 edition, pages 12 and 13.)34 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2011 review of defenceSADC Defence Committeeunited against piracyS A S O L D I E RBy Cpl Ally RakomaPhoto: Sgt Elias MahumaThe Southern AfricanDevelopment Community(SADC) Defence Chiefs, andheads of intelligence agenciesmet to work out a joint regionalanti-piracy and maritime crimestrategy at the Velmore Estate outsidePretoria from 24 to 27 July 2011.The Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, accompaniedby the Chief of the SANDF,Gen Solly Shoke, addressed thoseattending the welcoming function anddescribed the meeting as a historicoccasion, as this was the first time thatall the Defence Chiefs of the SADChad gathered in the same place, andSouth Africa and its SADC neighbourswere ready to work collectively on ajoint anti-piracy and maritime-crimestrategy.Minister Sisulu said that the effectivenessof the meeting would begreater if individual countries combinedtheir efforts rather than ifeach member country had a plan ofits own. It was important that theSADC Defence Committee shouldsynchronise its legislative, political,economic and judicial policies to allowthe armed forces of member countriesto operate swiftly and effectivelyagainst maritime criminals, includingpirates.She said: “The SADC member statesshould put in place robust laws to curbpiracy effectively. The current practiceof ‘catch-and-release’ of pirates shouldbe stopped, since it allows experiencedpirates to become more sophisticatedand there have been around 1 600acts of piracy, which have causedimmeasurable harm.”Ms Sisulu added that the increasein piracy off the Horn of Africa wasdirectly linked to the continuinginsecurity and the absence of theMs Lindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans,stressing that the SADC must establish robust rules of engagementfor anti-piracy during the welcoming function.rule of law. In this respect piracy hadincreased the cost of trade. She said: “Asregions are increasingly regarded asthreatened by piracy, they are seen asunstable, or volatile, and entire tradingroutes are altered, insurance premiumsincrease, and cargo shippers usealternative ports to pick up and delivertheir goods.”The meeting provided a forum toestablish a common framework of cooperationand a regional network ofmaritime nations for a free and securemaritime domain. Regional issues ofmutual interest were discussed andthe strategic ramifications of the SADCinitiative were highlighted as a majordevelopment in the maritime arena.Regional maritime security capabilitieswere required that would make theSADC region a world-class maritimeplayer and this would boost economicdevelopment.There was much discussion oftransnational maritime networksthat posed a threat, humantrafficking, piracy, terrorism andother factors that could retardregional maritime and generaleconomic interests. The provision ofmaritime environmental protectionand maritime resource coordinationwould ensure the safetyof seafarers, chartered vessels andother shipping. Coastal monitoring,surveillance, identification andtracking would be invaluable to thenavies, government entities, portsauthorities and maritime industry.The Chief of the SANDF pointed outthat SADC member states wouldhave to take responsibility fortheir own maritime security in cooperationwith other regions, taskforces, navies and role-players.(For more information please readthe article as published in SA Soldier,September 2011 edition, page 22.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 35

S A S O L D I E R 2011 review of defenceProgress for theDepartment of DefenceBy Mr Manelisi Ndaba,Specialist Writer in theDepartment of DefencePhoto: Sgt Elias MahumaAs the DOD celebrates tenyears of its official monthlypublication, SA Soldier,it becomes imperative toacknowledge and appreciatethe hard work done by DODmembers in telling military stories ofthe past decade in their own words.This anniversary takes place againstthe backdrop of the third BudgetVote Debate that was delivered bythe Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, to theNational Assembly on 13 April 2011.During her address the Ministershared the successes and challengesfaced by the Department and howthese were being dealt with. Thebudget vote also gave the Ministeran opportunity to articulate the wayforward and describe the kind ofnational defence force we are creating.In this regard a well managed anddisciplined national defence force iswhat we are constructing.When she took over the defenceportfolio, there were enormous longstandingchallenges that seemedimpossible to overcome, but in thethree years of her leadership hope hasbeen restored in the hearts of many inthe National Defence Force.The first challenge that confrontedthe Minister was a declining budgetin which the Department’s domesticobligations were defined in theConstitution against the backdropof the DOD’s growing internationalresponsibilities, a deterioratinginfrastructure and, very importantly,the pressing reality that conditions ofservice for the National Defence Forceneeded immediate attention.In her first budget vote speech in2009, Minister Sisulu boldly stated theneed for a separate dispensation forthe DOD that would allow it to dealcreatively with its own needs and thespecificities of its own unique securityrequirements. This was reiterated byPresident Jacob Zuma in September2009 when he said: “The SANDF mayserve the public, but its members arenot public servants. They may receivea salary at the end of every month, butthey are not ordinary workers. The highstandard of behaviour we expect fromthem necessitates that special attentionbe paid to their working conditions,their remuneration, their pensions, andgenerally their place in society”.The starting point was theestablishment of the Interim NationalDefence Force Service Commissionto look into the conditions of serviceof the members of the SANDF. Tofurther advance this effort in 2010,the DOD submitted to parliament anAmendment Bill to the Defence Act of2002. The bill proposed, among others, aseparate dispensation for the DOD fromthe public service sector, which wouldgive it legal standing and a permanentservice commission. This is in theprocess of being established and thenames of nominees have already beensubmitted for consideration.Furthermore, salary increases rangingfrom 2% to 65% for all members of theSANDF on salary levels 2 to 12 wereeffected as from 1 December 2009.The increase was part of the DOD’scommitment to ensure that membersof the SANDF were remuneratedat levels that complemented theirresponsibilities.In order to address the declining stateof defence infrastructure, the DODis finalising discussions with theDepartment of Public Works on theestablishment of the Defence EstateManagement mechanism which willresult in the DOD progressively exitingfrom the current arrangement onProperty and Facilities Managementby the Department of Public Works.This objective and the rolling out of theDefence Works Capability to maintainand repair defence facilities will beimplemented in this financial year.The DOD has worked tirelessly overMs Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans.the last few years to eliminateaudit qualifications arising fromthe Auditor General’s report. In theyear prior to the appointment ofthe current leadership in the DOD,the department faced six auditqualifications. To fulfil this promiseover the past financial year theDOD worked very hard to reducequalifications to one, which raised thepossibility of a clean audit in the nextfinancial year.The Department of Military Veteranswas proclaimed as a separate andstand-alone department within theministry. This was done in orderto create a department withingovernment whose sole responsibilitywas to govern and cater for the affairsof all former members of militaryorganisations, both from before thedawn of democracy and those whohave served in the current SouthAfrican National Defence Force36 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2011 review of defenceS A S O L D I E R(SANDF) after 1994.Indeed, it can be attested that 2010was an extraordinary year in termsof defence and security requirements.This experience would not havebeen possible without the efforts andcontributions of our armed forces.As host of the Soccer World Cup, andthe first of its kind on the continent,we set out to ensure that the countryprovided ironclad security for theduration of the tournament.During the tournament our frigatesand submarines patrolled ourterritorial waters and the approachesto the ports where soccer was beingplayed, while the newly acquiredGripen and Hawk aircraft flew aircombat patrols over all the stadiumswhile games were in progress. Inaddition to the pivotal role these ships,submarines and aircraft played insecuring those areas where none ofthe other government departmentshad the required capability, theyformed a magnificent backdrop behindand above our stadiums while thevarious matches were being played,a vindication of the Government’sdecision to acquire the strategic defencepackages.During the same period the NationalDefence Force was called upon toassume responsibility during thecrippling three-week national healthworkers strike. This required deployingmedical personnel and taking over74 abandoned hospitals in eightprovinces. In addition, members of theSANDF provided protection for thosemembers who were prepared and hadvolunteered to assist in helping otherservices.The DOD’s National Youth Service(NYS) Programme got off to an excitingstart. The programme aims to buildthe youth through civic educationand training in basic workplace skillswhile also encouraging self-respect,respect for others, integrity and societalresponsibility.In support of the Government’sforeign policy, under the auspicesof the United Nations (UN) and theAfrican Union (AU), the SANDFcontinues to support peace initiativeson the African continent. Democraticprocesses have taken place in statessuch as Burundi, the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, the Sudanand the Central Africa Republic, tomention but a few. This has earnedthe SANDF the accolades of being acredible and professional peace broker.The work that has been done by theDOD leadership in a short space oftime has been phenomenal. The DODis in better shape than it was threeyears ago, though there is still a longway ahead. This is only the beginningof a new dawn for members of theDOD who have taken a pledge to servethis country and its people with theirlives.(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, May2011 edition, pages 10 and 11.)Focus on pertinent defence mattersCompiled by Itumeleng MakhubelaLt Gen Derick Mgwebi, the thenChief of Human Resources (nowChief of Joint Operations), heldhis Communication Period at thePersonnel Service School in ThabaTshwane on 7 June 2011.He wanted to use the occasion toaddress pertinent issues unfoldingin the Department of Defence (DOD)and he conceded that the Department,with emphasis on the South AfricanNational Defence Force (SANDF) wasin a better state than it had been sincethe dawn of the new dispensation.Lt Gen Mgwebi spoke about theDefence Amendment Bill that hadbeen passed by Parliament and saidthe DOD could now concentrate onthe pertinent issues, eg conditions ofservice, remuneration and grading ofposts and matters affecting the corefunctions of the SANDF.He said that the long overdue draftof the Defence Review was readyto be presented to Parliament, afterwhich the DOD would embark on apublic consultation process beforethe submission of the final DefenceReview to Parliament.He added that Defence WorksCapability would urgently attendto the matter of the declining stateof defence infrastructure. The DODhad begun discussions with theDepartment of Public Works on theestablishment of the Defence EstateManagement Mechanism, whichwill result in the DOD progressivelyexiting from the current arrangementon property and facilities managementby the Department of Public Works.The rolling out of the DefenceWorks Capability, which is an inhousecapability to maintain andrepair defence facilities, has beenimplemented.Lt Gen Mgwebi said that theDOD’s National Youth Service (NYS)Programme, currently in partnershipwith the Department of RuralDevelopment and Land Reform,with more government departmentsto join the programme in the nearfuture, had gotten off to an excitingstart. The programme aims to buildthe youth through civic educationand training in basic workplace skillswhile also encouraging self-respect,respect for others, integrity and societalresponsibility. The desired outcome isindividuals who are reintegrated intothe community and determined to helpbuild their community, thus making apositive contribution to society at large.He pointed out that on 17 March2011, 500 students of the NYSPilot Programme graduated at DeBrug near Bloemfontein and weresent to the Department of RuralDevelopment and Land Reformto complete the remainder of theirNYS Programme. The self-attestedchange in the graduates strengthensthe DOD’s resolve to continue withthe programme. Partnerships areenvisaged with more governmentdepartments in the near future.Lt Gen Mgwebi added that thebudget of the DOD had to change toreflect the constitutional requirementsof the DOD. Unfortunately, in the shortterm the DOD has had to reprioritiseand scrape through at great cost toits development programmes. Thepriorities outlined will require asignificantly increased budget.The then Chief of HumanResources concluded: “These aresome of the achievements that haveset the tone for the SANDF on theroad ahead. We appreciate the hardwork that the Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans has put intoimproving the livelihood of SANDFmembers. The groundbreaking workthat was done by the Interim NationalDefence Force Service Commission inattending to long-standing challengesin a short space of time in the SANDFis admirable.”(For more information please read thearticle as published in SA Soldier, August2011 edition, page 38.)M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 37

S A S O L D I E R 2011 review of defenceHighlights on the successesof the Military Police DivisionBy Cdr T.E. Mhlonyane, MilitaryPolice DivisionThe Military Police Division(MPD) has successfullyparticipated in the Opening ofParliament over the past threeyears since the Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans,Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, assumed office.There are currently six policewomenwho are qualified to drive motorcyclesin the MPD, and two of themparticipated in the Opening ofParliament in February 2012 therebyenhancing gender equity in a maledominated field.The MPD has successfully executedthe ceremonial duties in the form offoreign State visits, letters of credence,accreditation of military attachésand SANDF parades over the abovementionedperiod.The Division has creditable exhibitedits policing capability at the RandShow from 6 to 15 April 2012. It hasprofessionally handled complaintsfrom various stakeholders overthis period thereby displaying itscommitment to serve the peoplewith enthusiasm and loyalty. Itshigh policing visibility at the RandShow has restored public confidence,security and the protection of Stateproperty.The MPD has complied with its ownperformance objectives over the pastFestive Season (1 November 2011 to31 January 2012) by executing highlevels of deliberate crime preventionactions in conjunction with otherlaw enforcement agencies. Thesedeliberate crime prevention actionsconstituted of random searches,roadblocks, stop and searches,disciplinary and traffic patrols atSANDF business areas. Duringthe festive season 46 memberswere arrested for various crimesABOVE: A Military Police member attendsto a young member of the pubic at the RandShow.and recovery of State property wasimmensely estimable in various parts ofSANDF business areas in the country.The MPD has displayed its combatreadiness in dealing with any prevailingcircumstances when confronted withABOVE: AMilitary Policemember ontraffic patrol in aSANDF businessarea.criminal activities whenever itmanifests at any time at any place.These policemen and women incombat have worked long hoursin pursuit of a military policingexcellence in the Department ofDefence.38 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

Proud to serveour nation2009 - 2011 review of defenceS A S O L D I E RArticle and photos by Capt SelloSegone, Editor MilmedThe ruby berets of the SAMilitary Health Service(SAMHS) have become aknown and welcome sightover the years as part of thehealth care system and lately insupport of world-class events, such asthe 2010 Soccer World Cup.The “angels of mercy”, as they werenicknamed by the media during thehealth care professionals labour actionat government hospitals, have since2009 been deployed to numeroushospitals to assist the Department ofHealth to protect the most vulnerableand make sure they receive the bestpossible medical care when others arefailing them.In 2009 the groundbreaking Directiveon the Health Classification andDeployability of SANDF Memberswith HIV and AIDS was approved.The implementation of the HIVpolicy had the following benefits andoutcomes for serving soldiers and theSANDF:• There is currently a uniformapproach to the healthclassification of all SANDF soldiersand new recruits presenting withcertain chronic medical conditions,including HIV and AIDS.• It also allows for the optimalselection of soldiers for theoperational requirements of theSANDF, per health and post profile,so that they can be trained andutilised in the interests of both theindividual and the SANDF.• The policy has also made provisionfor an increase in the total numberof deployable soldiers and forprepared and supported militaryhealth capabilities, services andfacilities to support these soldierswhere reasonable and possible.ABOVE: SA Military Health Servicemembers were deployed at the Chris HaniBaragwanath Hospital during OperationProsper.The content has been made availableto the United Nations and theAfrican Union as the applied protocoland guidelines for the operationaldeployment of SA Peacekeeping Forces.The SAMHS also showed its mettleduring the 2010 Soccer World CupABOVE: MsLindiwe Sisulu,the Minister ofDefence andMilitary Veterans,on a conferencecall to the OrlandoStadium duringthe 2010 SoccerWorld Cup, withCol Dave McNelly, OfficerCommanding ofSAMHS HQ.by providing highly developedtechnological support from itsNational Health Operations Centre inCenturion to all the stadiums involvedin this spectacular event. This waswidely recognised as a world-classfacility providing medical support ontime and to the right place.M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 39

S A S O L D I E R 2012 review of defenceSANDF continues to inspireSouth AfricansBy Lt Col Frans Pale, SO1Operational CommunicationPhoto: Capt Matthew de JagerThe Joint Operations Division (JOps Div) continues to inspirethe South African populationas it employs forces in thedefence of the Republic, andthe protection of its sovereigntyand territorial integrity. On the otherhand, the J Ops Div also complieswith the international obligations ofthe Republic to international bodiesand other states.During the financial year 2011/2012,the J Ops Div deployed SouthAfrican National Defence Force(SANDF) cadres for participationin a wide range of prominent andinternationally recognised externalpeace support operations.During these operations, the SANDFdeployed a total of 2 249 members.They were deployed in three largeto medium scale peace supportoperations, such as OperationMistral in the Democratic Republicof the Congo (DRC), OperationCordite in the Sudan andOperation Copper in support of theMozambique Government’s counterpiracyoperations in the MozambiqueChannel.Other military assistance operationscarried out by the SANDF includedOperation Vimbezela in the CentralAfrican Republic, Operation Dawnin South Sudan, Operation Rush inthe Republic of Tanzania, OperationSononder in Equatorial Guineaand Operation Senoko in the DRC.The latter involved the successfuldelivery of material from SouthAfrica to the DRC during the recentlyheld parliamentary and presidentialelections in that country.Fellow soldiers, ladies and gentlemen,charity begins at home. In support ofthe people of South Africa, the SANDFcompleted one Bailey bridge in April2011 at Nquthu River in the EasternCape and another at Hammanskraalin Gauteng in June 2011. These bridgeswere donatedand built bythe SA ArmyEngineers toprovide safe andeasy access tocommunities.The SANDFprovidedfire-fightingassistance inthe WesternCape and tookpart in searchand-rescueatsea and on landin the EasternCape, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)and Gauteng.Support wasalso providedduring heavysnowstorms onthe N3 betweenHarrismithand Villiersin the KZNby recoveringvehicles andprovidingassistance forstranded driversand passengers, as well as provision ofwater in the Brandfort area in the FreeState in July 2011 after the municipalitycould not provide water for thecommunity.The SANDF also provided flood reliefassistance during the floods in theLimpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.We again provided medical care tocrewmen of a Chinese ship, the LAI-CHING in the vicinity of Tristan daCunha in May 2011.With regard to the border safeguardingresponsibility of the SANDF, OperationCorona continues according to aphased roll-out approach. The SANDFcompleted phase two of the roll-outsuccessfully by deploying two subunitsat Pontdrift and Musina in Limpopo, twosubunits at Macadamia and Skukuza inMpumalanga, two subunits at Ndumuand Pongola in KZN and one subunitMembers of the SANDF constructing a bridge inthe Eastern Cape Province.at Ladybrand in the Free State. Theborder safeguarding responsibilityencompasses all three environments,viz land, air and sea. Thedeployment of the SANDF for bordersafeguarding resulted in 16 850 illegalimmigrants being apprehended, 368criminals arrested, 60 stolen vehiclesrecovered, 8 weapons recovered, 1 394livestock recovered, 453kg of coppercable recovered and 9 068kg of daggaconfiscated.The SANDF also provided maritimeand airspace control. This supportwas provided by the SANDFbacked by the collateral value ofcore conventional capabilities. Aspart of Operation Corona, theSANDF is executing OperationHorizon (anti-poaching) with theaim of stopping rhino poaching inthe country, especially in the KrugerNational Park.40 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2012 review of defenceS A S O L D I E RChief of the SA Navy receives Honorary DoctorateArticle and photo by WO2 M. Moraile,PRO Naval Station DurbanThe Chief of the SA Navy, V AdmJohannes Mudimu, received anHonorary Doctorate from theDurban University of Technology on19 April 2012. This is one of the highesthonours a university can bestow on aperson. A council of academics comestogether to decide on such a deservingindividual.An Honorary Doctorate is alifetime achievement and must betreated as such. The SA Navy isprivileged to have the leadership ofV Adm Mudimu. In his acceptancespeech, the Chief of the SA Navy mademention of many strong leaders whogave hope to their fellow countrymenand women, for example Napoleonand Doctor Nelson Mandela.The first black Officer Commanding ofa submarineArticle and photo courtesySA Navy Public RelationsDepartmentThe Chief of the SA Navy, V Adm Johannes Mudimu, received anHonorary Doctorate from Mr David Hellinger, the Registrar of theDurban University of Technology.The SA Navy and members of themedia were there to witness CdrThamsanqa “Handsome” Matsanebeing sworn in as the first blackofficer to assume Command of a Type209 submarine, SAS Queen ModjadjiI, in the naval dockyard at Simon’sTown on 26 April 2012.Cdr Matsane or “Handsome” ashe is affectionately known to mostof the naval members enlisted in theSA Navy in 1998 and completed hisMilitary Training for Officers Part1 in December 1998. Cdr Matsanewent on to complete his Bachelorin Military Science degree throughthe University of Stellenbosch at theMilitary Academy in Saldanha. Hehas completed all military coursesrequired to assume the command ofa naval submarine.In 2007 Cdr Matsane joined theSubmarine Squadron and qualifiedas a submariner. Eventually he wasappointed as Operations Officer ofthe SAS CHARLOTTE MAXEKE.He was the Executive Officer of SAS34-year-old Cdr Thamsanqa “Handsome” Matsane took command ofSAS QUEEN MODJADJI I during a ceremony at Simons’s Town on26 April 2012.CHARLOTTE MAXEKE until 26 April2012 when he officially took commandof the SAS QUEEN MODJADJI I.According to Cdr Matsane thehighlight of his career was when hesailed in a number of yacht regattas,including the Cape to Rio race in 2003and the four months he spent on thesailing ship B.E. Esmeralda on its roundthe world voyage from Chile. He wasmentored by the Skipper, John Martin.Interviewed by Naval BaseCorporate Communications, CdrMatsane boasted: “I am not good atlanguages, but give me any numbersto solve and I will always have asolution”. This illustrate why he wasthe best student in the mathematicsclass during the three years he spentat the Military Academy. Cdr Matsanespeaks proudly of his grandmother,his other mentor.M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 41

S A S O L D I E R2012 review of defenceFirst major exercise for2 Squadron in EuropeArticle and photos by WO2 DavidNomtshongwana, photographerAd AstraThe SA Air Force participated forthe first time in Exercise LionEffort 2012. Countries thattook part in the exercise werethe Czech Republic, Hungary,South Africa and Sweden (thehost) and Thailand as an observer. Themain exercise elements took place from1 to 4 April 2012.The exercise was the result of thesefive countries signing a technicalarrangement, in which it was agreedthat they would work together as aGripen Users Group. The aim was toimprove the understanding of and useof the Gripen aircraft. The exerciseprovided a training opportunity inNordic weather conditions for air unitspreparing for operational assignments,especially Combined Air Operations.The ground crew of the SA Air Forcewere ready to marshal the last fournew Gripens on 27 March 2012 whenthey landed at Ronneby F17 Air Base totake part in the exercise. It brought thetotal number of Gripens of 2 Squadron(SA Air Force) to 26. These four newGripens will be shipped back to SouthAfrica later.The F17 Air Base is located in thesouth-east corner of Sweden; from herethe flights took place mainly over theBaltic Sea.Two waves of Gripens were launchedevery day over a four days period, theBlue forces operating from south-westagainst the Red forces from the northeast.One force defended an area whilethe other performed air interdiction,and vice versa. The sounds of morethan 20 fighter aircraft taking off andlanding could be heard at the RonnebyABOVE: A SA Air Force Gripen taking off during Exercise LionEffort 2012 from Ronneby F17 Air Base in Sweden.Air Base in the morning and afternoonduring the exercise.On their arrival the SA Air Force pilotswent directly to Linköping in Swedento be fitted with suites and to havemeasurements taken for the HelmetMounted Display. Ad Astra magazinespoke to Maj Catherine Labuschagne,the first female Gripen pilot in theworld, after she landed for the firsttime at Ronneby. She said that theyhad been briefed by Mr Robin “Skater”Norlander (SAAB test pilot) and shewas prepared for their first flight inEuropean skies. Although it was a coldday with only a thin layer of cloud at 5000 feet, it was a great day for flying byEuropean standards, she said.Maj Labuschagne said: “Everyonewas looking neat and professionalin camos, new jackets, and the vibearound Lion Camp (our base camp atF17 Air Base) was exciting. What anhonour to be a part of this exercise.”The Head of the SA Air Forcecontingent, Col Pierre Venter, in anexclusive interview with Ad Astramagazine after the exercise saidthat there was no doubt about theimportance of the participation of theSA Air Force in this exercise, and theydid very well in the role they played.Col Venter said: “The success of the42 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2012 review of defenceS A S O L D I E RABOVE: Fltr: Maj Catherine Labuschagne, Lt Col Lancelot Wellington, Lt Col Gys van der Walt and LtCol Frans Labuschagne from the SA Air Force landed with their Gripens at the Ronneby F17 Air Base inSweden.exercise could be measured in terms ofthe high morale of the staff. The flyingpart of the exercise was well plannedand the willingness of the Swedesto assist us was much appreciated.We are among the best in the worldin terms of operating the Gripen.The preparations for this exercise inMakhado helped 2 Squadron to dowell.”Col Venter concluded: “The SA AirForce flew everyday during ExerciseLion Effort 2012 while the groundcrew made sure that the fighter jetswere ready to be flown. We did notknow what to expect, but we cameback having acquired a lot of expertise.We will be able to plough this back athome (SA).”Maj John Matlou, one of three fightercontrollers of the SA Air Force in theexercise, said: “My work was to controlthe fighters.” He added: “I gainedexperience in controlling large fightsduring the war. The Swedish ArmedForces operate differently: they functionon slots, whereas at home we operateon single. Operating on slots can assistair traffic controllers because if onemakes a mistake, it can be correctedimmediately. We must be realistic; wecannot copy everything on account ofenvironmental differences. I learnedsomething of value, viz airspacemanagement, which we can applyin 2018 when South Africa will bethe host country for Exercise LionEffort 2018.”Lt Col Gys van der Walt, ActingOfficer Commander of 2 Squadron,who led the SA Air Force contingenton the operational side, said thatthe SA Air Force did very well. Hesaid: “The ground crew made surethat we were airborne everyday.The Gripen Users Group bondedwell during this exercise. We flew40 hours. Although the systems ofthe different countries differed, itwas not a major issue. We benefitedgreatly from the exercise.”M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 43

S A S O L D I E R 2009 - 2012 review of defenceSuccesses in the HR DivisionCompiled by Mr LufunoNetshirembePhoto: Sgt Elias MahumaSince coming to office as Ministerof Defence and Military Veteransin 2009 Ms Lindiwe Sisulu hasenjoyed many successes in thevarious Services, Divisions andDirectorates in the Departmentof Defence and Military Veterans.Not only did she bring about positivechange to the Department, but sheis the first woman to be appointedMinister of Defence in South Africa.Thus, it is appropriate that in thisarticle we reflect on her success inthe Human Resources Division of theDepartment of Defence (DOD).2009/10The Human Resources Division(Directorate Language Services)successfully completed its firstinternational assignment in supportof three participating member statesof the Southern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) Brigade, namelyMozambique, Angola and theDemocratic Republic of the Congo(DRC), by participating in ExerciseGOLFINHO, an internationaland multilingual peacekeepingfield training exercise at Lohatlhaheld during September 2009.The translation of documents ofsignificance and the interpretingof exercise proceedings were anindispensable support function duringthe exercise.The DOD conducted languagetraining courses in Arabic, Frenchand Kiswahili for 170 members(SANDF soldiers and attachés) toenhance communication duringtheir deployment to countries inAfrica such as the Sudan, the DRCand Burundi. The DOD also forgedinterdepartmental collaboration withthe Department of Foreign Affairs, apartnership that resulted in massifiedArabic training for another 554 DODmembers, who were outsourced to theDepartment of Foreign Affairs.During the reporting period 759 DODlearners enrolled for Adult BasicEducation and Training (ABET). AirForce Base Hoedspruit achieved thebest results with a 100% pass rate forits 88 learners.A total of 240 South African NationalDefence Force (SANDF) membershave been transferred to the SouthAfrican Police Service (SAPS)as part of a Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU) betweenthe Department of Defence andMilitary Veterans and the SAPS,which ultimately contributes tothe rejuvenation of the SANDF.The Defence Staff Councilapproved the concept of a newDOD Individual GrievanceProcedure during 2009. Afterinteraction with all role-players,the Individual GrievanceProcedure was finalised andapproved by the Plenary DefenceStaff Council during February2010. This approved Procedurewill have a huge impact on thefinalisation of grievances as it iselectronically supported and nowencompasses one process for boththe military and civilian membersof the DOD.Altogether 93 members completedtheir training at Naboomspruitand have now been appointedby the South African RevenueServices (SARS) as inspectors and aredeployed at Ports of Entry.2010/11A process of initiating a regionalstrategy on how to mainstream genderin SADC Defence Forces was finalised.This resulted in an approved ActionPlan which is being discussed at theInter-state Defence Security Committee(ISDSC) Personnel Work Groupmeetings.The deployment of a Gender Adviserin the SA Contingent in the DRChas resulted in SANDF personnelin mission areas being assisted inpreventing, stopping and addressingsexual harassment. Serious allegationsof sexual exploitation and abuseagainst women and girls offenceslevelled against SANDF soldiersshould therefore diminish as a result ofthis deployment.The promulgation and successfulimplementation of the IndividualGrievance Procedure Regulationsallows both members and employees tolodge their grievances without fear ofintimidation and victimisation.The pilot Basic Military TrainingThe Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu,speaking to soldiers as she declares2010 as the year of the SANDF.Programme on gender equity tookplace from 18 to 22 October 2010.During November 2010 an additionalgender equity programme waspresented to all the wing commandersof the School of Infantry. Genderequity will now be included in thecourse curriculum of all the coursespresented at the School of Infantry.2011/12The Human Resources (HR) Divisionimplemented and marketed thenew Performance ManagementDevelopment System to all Servicesand Divisions’ headquarters and unitsacross the country.The HR Division facilitated thejoint review of the Military SkillsDevelopment System (MSDS). ADecision Brief was presented tothe Military Command Councilon 5 September 2011 where therecommended option was approved.In satisfying Governmentimperatives, the HR Division focusedmainly on facilitating job creationopportunities for the exiting MSDSmembers and has been engagedin interdepartmental transfers ofNational Defence Force personnel44 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2009 - 2012 review of defenceS A S O L D I E Rto fill 350 posts at the Department ofHome Affairs.The Non-statutory Forces (NSF)Pension Rules have been approvedand gazetted with effect from 8 July2011. A number of payments havealready been processed accordingto the categories as set by theGovernment Pension AdministrationAgency. The Government EmployeesPension Fund Law and the SpecialPension Amendment Act have beentabled in the National Assembly toaccommodate the NSF Pension.Great strides have been made in theadministration of the Policy andProcedure on Incapacity Leave andIll Health Retirement (PILIR). Theauthority to condone the outstandingtransactions of deceased membersor those who exited the systemwas received from the Secretaryfor Defence. Services and Divisionshave been informed and a revisedStandard Operating Procedure withregard to PILIR was promulgatedand disseminated to all Services andDivisions.The HR Division was able to finalisethe collective grievances of the formermembers of the NSF in the FinanceManagement Division (FMD). Allmembers who were found by the auditcommittee to have been prejudicedduring the demilitarisation of the FMDwere compensated and those that werefound not to have been prejudiced wereinformed in writing.The HR Division submitted 5 200applications for redress of pensiondiscrimination to the Public Service CoordinatingBargaining Council (PSCBC).The applications were from serving andformer employees. Once verified by thePSCBC, the applications will be sentto the Government Employee PensionFund (GEPF) for consideration. In theevent that the GEPF determines that theywere indeed discriminated against, theirperiod of service will be recognised andthey will be compensated as such. Thisprocess was undertaken in order to giveeffect to PSCBC Resolution 7/98.The Division embarked on aninvestigation to identify certainexecutive functions that could bedecentralised to the Services. The aimof the decentralisation is to limit thehigh rate of qualified audit reportsreceived by the DOD from the AuditorGeneral, as Services would now playan active role in the quality controlof submissions from unit level. Thefollowing functions were identifiedfor decentralisation: Marketing,Recruitment and Selections. Theappointments function with therelevant delegation is to remain withthe HR Division, Public Service ActPersonnel (PSAP) Administration forSalary Levels 1 to 10 and medical andhousing administration.The Division submitted twosubstantial written legal opinionsto the Priority Crimes LitigationUnit under the National ProsecutingAuthority. The legal opinions relatedto the International HumanitarianLaw Court cases in which the Republicof South Africa was involved.In June 2011 a representative on theLaw of Armed Conflict in the HRDivision was elected and appointedas a member of the General Assemblyof the International Institute forHumanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy.This Institute is a non-governmentalorganisation that consults for theUnited Nations and the InternationalCommittee for the Red Cross andprovides education in InternationalHumanitarian Law.Chief Human Resources interacts with the mediaBy Kgabo MashamaiteThe Chief of Human Resources, LtGen Themba Nkabinde, providedmembers of the media with thelatest developments in the HumanResources Division of the Departmentof Defence (DOD) during a mediabreakfast briefing in Pretoria on 27March 2012.He outlined several projects hisDivision was involved in, such asemployment opportunities for thosein the Military Skills DevelopmentSystem (MSDS) who completedtheir two-year service period withother government departments ororganisations in accordance with theconcept of job creation and the NonstatutoryForces Pension Dispensation,as well as the retaining of scarce skillswithin the South African NationalDefence Force (SANDF).Lt Gen Nkabinde said: “It isa known fact that since takingoffice in 2009, Minister Sisulu hasdemonstrated her passion into turningthings around in the SANDF. Amongthe issues close to her heart is theimprovement of service conditions forthe National Defence Force memberswhen she appointed a permanentNational Defence Service Commission(NDSC). The NDSC will also helpthe SANDF to retain scares skills asit will provide the kind of workingenvironment, which will improve themorale of our personnel. The process ofappointing the commissioners is at thepoint of finalisation, as are the supportstructures and the employment packagesof the commissioners. It is envisagedthat the NDSC will be fully operationalby the first quarter of the new financialyear.”Lt Gen Nkabinde said in order to aidthe Department the DOD has developedthe new grievance mechanism forboth members of the SANDF andthe Public Service Act Personnel(PSAP) in response to a number ofcomplaints lodged by DOD employeesand the queries raised by Members ofParliament. Among these is the MilitaryOmbudsman who complements andreinforces the mechanism already inplace.According to Lt Gen Nkabinde,among the greatest achievements sincethe formation of the SANDF wereamendments to the Non-Statutory Forces(NSF) Pension Fund in accordance withthe Government Employees PensionAct. Huge progress has been madewith the support of the GovernmentPension Administration Agency sincethe middle of 2011. This includes,among others, the recognition of 8 061applications for full NSF service forthe in-service members, the finalisingand processing of 2 126 members;recognition of 11 106 applications forfull service of members exiting theactive public service; the finalising of5% member contribution refundingof 1 091 members; payment and recalculatedarrears annuities andgratuities for 1 261 members havebeen finalised and the recalculationof the additional gratuities for 3 959members. He also revealed thatthe Transnet Freight Rail would berecruiting at least 200 exited MSDSReserve Force members every thirdmonth over a five-year period withthe aim of utilising them at othernational ports of entry. Currentlythe Transnet Freight Rail has 241members who were appointed by theTransnet Freight Rail in the followingsections: Transnet Rail (178), TransnetPipeline (10) and Transnet ArtisanTraining (53).M A Y 2 0 1 2 • 45

S A S O L D I E R 2012 review of defenceThe third Indian OceanNaval SymposiumBy Mr Lufuno NetshirembePhoto courtesy Navy NewsThe Chief of the SA Navy,V Adm Johannes Mudimu,welcomed the delegates tothe third Indian Ocean NavalSymposium (IONS) held at theCape Town Convention Centrefrom 10 to 13 April 2012. This was thefirst time this symposium was held inAfrica.The IONS has been established as abiennial event since its inception inNew Delhi, India, in February 2008.In recent years it has expanded tobecome one of the largest and mostsignificant maritime conferencesconvened in the Indian Ocean region.The IONS plays a pivotal role inenhancing maritime co-operation andsecurity.The Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu,accompanied by the Deputy Ministerof Defence and Military Veterans, MrThabang Makwetla, and the Secretaryfor Defence, Mr Sam Gulube, officiallyopened the 2012 Indian Ocean NavalSymposium on 11 April 2012.This year’s symposium, as one of themost important maritime conferencesin the region, brought togetherapproximately 86 countries and morethan 350 delegates to discuss waysand means to deal with this scourgeand achieve the main objective ofconstructive engagement and dialoguein order to enhance maritime securityin the Indian Ocean and to promoteareas of common interest and cooperation.The theme for the 2012symposium was regional maritimesecurity initiatives aimed at reducingmodern maritime security threats.Looking at recent rampant illegalmaritime activities (including, but notlimited to piracy, human and narcoticstrafficking, plundering of maritimeresources and many other illegal seaOn arrival V Adm Johannes Mudimu, the Chief of the SA Navy,welcomes the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms LindiweSisulu, to the symposium and introduces R Adm Ibrahim SalimMohamed Al Musharrakh, the outgoing Chairperson of IONS, whileLt Gen Vusi Masondo, the Chief of the SA Army, looks on.based activities) this was relevant asacts that threaten maritime securityare becoming commonplace along theEast coast of Africa, and are extendingfurther to include the whole IndianOcean.Minister Sisulu pointed out that theSouth African Government and itscitizens were committed to ensuringthat the outcome of the symposiumwould become a top agenda itemof security for South Africa and theregion. She said: “We commit ourselvesto ensuring that we give you thepolitical support that you require indealing with this clear, present andmenacing scourge, so that you directyourselves to the reduction of maritimesecurity threats emerging in yourrespective environments.”According to Minister Sisuluthis commitment is very real asapproximately 90% of our Africantrade is dependent on the sea fortransportation. The increasingmaritime security threat becomesa clear menace that endangers thelivelihood not only of South Africans,but of all the member states of IONS.As a result of this fast growingmaritime threat, the SA Navy ispatrolling the seas as per the recentlysigned trilateral agreement of cooperationwith Mozambique andTanzania to curb this threat. Sheencouraged countries to co-operateto combat maritime insecurity andsaid that collective co-operationwould be mutually beneficial infinding solutions to regional maritimesecurity.46 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

2009 - 2012 review of defenceS A S O L D I E RM A Y 2 0 1 2 • 47

S A S O L D I E R48 • M A Y 2 0 1 2