June 2013 - Department of Defence

S A S O L D I E ReventsChief Army provides insightinto SA Army statusBy Sgt Itumeleng MakhubelaPhoto: S Sgt Lebogang TlhaoleThe Chief of the SA Army, LtGen Vusi Masondo, maintainsthat despite recent incidents inits areas of operations the SAArmy remains a formidableforce to reckon with. A mediabreakfast session was presented at theSA Army College in Thaba Tshwaneon 16 May 2013 to update the publicthrough the media about currentissues affecting the SA Army.Lt Gen Masondo said SA Armysoldiers were currently deployed inpeace missions in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (DRC) andthe Sudan. He added that the servicehad been suitably prepared andequipped for the conditions theymight encounter during peace supportoperations.He added: “Much has been said andspeculated about after the operationalincident in the Central AfricanRepublic (CAR) that resulted in thetragic death of 14 of our soldiers(when going to print 15 soldiers). I amconvinced that few other forces wouldhave been able to match the combatcapability displayed by our soldiers inthat situation if they had to face it.”Lt Gen Masondo indicated that theyhad taken heed of the CAR incidentand would incorporate the lessonslearnt from it in preparing forces forfuture operations. He maintained thatthe SA Army had been involved intraining statutory forces in countriesaffected by turbulence and violence,including the DRC and the CAR.Operation Corona continues to yieldpositive results on the borders with13 companies deployed. Lt GenMasondo stated that since January2012 soldiers had confiscatedabout 15 391 kg of dagga and 2 782dagga plants. They apprehendedLt Gen Vusi Masondo, the Chief of the SA Army, pledgesduring the media breakfast to steer the SA Army on the road ofconstructive rejuvenation and modernisation as the country’sprimary landward defence capability.12 409 undocumented immigrants,recovered 76 vehicles and confiscatedcontraband to the value of R 18 271 529.Furthermore 98 illegal firearms andmore than a thousand head of lifestock were recovered.He said that the SA Army continuedto render support to other governmentdepartments and that this was visibleduring national strikes that affectedthe hospitals. The SA Army assistedthe Department of Home Affairs todocument immigrants and supportedthe SA Police Service during the festiveseason and periods of unrest.The provision of a combat ready forceremains a priority for the SA Army.Lt Gen Masondo said that during theprevious financial year a total of 632courses were presented that produced17 235 competent learners. This willbe augmented by the force trainingscheduled to take place later this yearand which will which include ExerciseShared Accord and Exercise YoungEagle.Lt Gen Masondo touched based on theissue of discipline following the pretrialof members who were implicatedin the illegal march to the UnionBuildings on 26 August 2009. He said:“Adherence to the Code of Conductfor uniformed members in theSANDF and processes and proceduresregulating grievances cannot benegotiated. It is unfortunate that theisolated incidents of poor disciplinethat occur are portrayed in such amanner as to suggest that this hasbecome the norm in the SA Army.”In response to a question during themedia breakfast, Lt Gen Masondoindicated that the SA Army wasdeployed in Goma in the DRC, aspart of the United Nations (UN)Intervention Brigade. A battalion willbe added to those already deployed inthe UN mission.18 • J U N E 2 0 1 3