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

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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
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