Chapter 2 - P rogramme 1 - Department of Defence

| Chapter 6 - Programme 4: Maritime Defence |
With regard to peace missions, the SA Navy provided
forces in support of peace initiatives in Africa. Six
members were deployed in Sudan. Staff officers and
military observers were deployed in the UN mission
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A
Maritime Reaction Squadron platoon was deployed
as a protection unit in Burundi. Training assistance
was provided as part of the South African Military
Assistance Training Team (SAMATT) initiative to
the Central African Republic.
In terms of supporting other Government
departments, preparatory exercises in support of the
Soccer World Cup 2010 were conducted. Support
was also provided during the team draw occasion
in Durban. The SA Navy further participated in
joint exercises to monitor the movement of air
traffic, in preparation for the Soccer World Cup.
Naval deployments in cooperation with the SAPS
and in support of marine and coastal management
in the Western and Southern Cape assisted in the
enforcement of State authority and the protection
of marine resources such as endangered shellfish.
At the request of the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission – UNESCO, real-time
tide-information satellite transmitters were installed
by the SA Navy at the Durban, Port Elizabeth
and Simon’s Town naval bases. These transmitters
contribute to international maritime safety, as they
form part of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning
System, with the data being used to monitor weather
and tidal patterns.
The Maritime Log Support Plan (MLSP) has
achieved notable successes in its support of the
SA Navy’s maritime assets. The recently established
System Support Centre has made a positive difference
in the ability of the fleet to maintain its assets and
infrastructure. The SA Navy became the first Service
to have a depot’s accounting system successfully
transferred from DIMS to OSIS. The MSLP has
played a major role in the successful deployment of
the frigates SAS Amatola to the United Kingdom
and SAS Mendi to Brazil and Ghana. In the weapons
support domain, the first locally designed and
manufactured submarine berthing pontoon was put
into operation, as was a fuel capture tap. With the
implementation of the Strategy for the Management
of Criminality in the DOD, the SA Navy created a
positive contribution towards managing crime by
adopting a zero-tolerance approach to offenders.
The SA Navy has continued with the pragmatic
implementation of the HR 2010 Strategy towards
ensuring that the SA Navy achieves a workforce
Annual Report FY 2007 - 2008 136
| Department of Defence |
that is representative in terms of gender and race,
including the accreditation of training units. The
SA Navy has initiated special recruitment and
marketing drives in order to identify candidates for
appointment in the Combat, Technical and Diver
branches of the SA Navy. In this regard, all provinces
were visited and 633 candidates were successfully
recruited as MSDS members who could in future
be appointed in the Combat, Technical, Diving and
Submarine branches. A further 92 candidates who
are partially technically qualified were recommended
for employment in the MSDS and Core Service
System.
The Military Skills Development programme
enabled the rejuvenation of both Regular and
Reserve components with young, fit and able sailors.
Approximately 42 000 Reserve man-days were
utilised to satisfy force preparation and force support
requirements. The Reserve Management Centre has
proved highly efficient in coordinating the call-up
and utilisation of Reserve personnel. Representivity
in terms of race and gender is progressing well,
and a well-developed plan to manage people with
disabilities is in place.
The loss of personnel within the combat and
technical domains to the private sector remains an
area of great concern. However, various initiatives
are being pursued to turn this situation around. The
intervention of targeting members with technical
qualifications or partial technical qualifications
to further their training and attain accredited
qualifications has had a positive effect, with such
members being staffed in technical posts.
Despite the constraints that continue to challenge the
SA Navy’s ability to comply with its constitutional
mandate, it achieved its performance objectives
in accordance with the DOD Strategic Business
Plan for FY 2007/08. This bears testimony to the
commitment of the men and women who serve in
the organisation. The robust managerial intervention
with clear strategic direction by top leadership
has allowed the SA Navy to remain committed
to pursuing its primary objective of providing a
credible maritime defence capability to the people
of South Africa.
Purpose
The purpose of the Maritime Defence Programme
is to provide prepared and supported maritime
defence capabilities for the defence and protection
of the Republic of South Africa.