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

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