Chapter 2 - P rogramme 1 - Department of Defence

One of the major challenges that the Division had to
face is the maintenance of facilities throughout the
SANDF. While every effort was made to improve
and ensure that NDPW was put in a position to
assist the DOD in this regard, the expected results
were, for various reasons, not forthcoming. Monthly
meetings were conducted with NDPW officials
to address the situation and to ensure that sound
infrastructure project management was in place.
The DOD is addressing this matter.
Education, Training and Development
A major achievement in the improvement of
employees was the promulgation of an instruction
on apprenticeship in the DOD, which will make
SANDF apprentice training compliant with the
South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA)
Act, 1995 (Act No. 58 of 1995) and will facilitate
recruiting, as qualifications will be recognised and
portable. This will greatly contribute towards the
objectives of the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills
Acquisition and the Accelerated and Shared Growth
Initiative (ASGISA). The formalisation of a good
relationship with the Engineering Council of South
Africa (ECSA) is progressing well. This will enable
the SANDF to attain the ECSA registration for its
technical engineering personnel.
Ammunition Disposal
As part of the SANDF’s ammunition risk reduction
effort, the over-and-above functions of the
demolition of ammunition, ammunition handling
and firebreak capabilities were enhanced. The
ammunition disposal capability had been improved
and was expanded. The De Aar ammunition
demolition range was requalified to conduct disposal
through open demolition and was also the last of
the planned requalifications. A total of 1 500 tons
of dangerous ammunition have been identified for
further mass disposal through open demolition.
In Africa, support was readily provided to countries
that required logistic expertise in ammunition
disposal. As requested by the Government of
Mozambique, 1 213 tons of unexploded dangerous
ammunition was demolished in Maputo, after the
massive explosion in an ammunition storage area.
It took over 56 tons of serviceable explosives to
carry out the task safely. A request was also received
from the Government of Uganda to assist in the
destruction of 460 tons of ammunition, of which
| Department of Defence |
only 280 tons of old ammunition was destroyed.
The full need could not be met due to insufficient
serviceable explosives to undertake the disposal, as
well as a lack of the continued sponsorship from the
non-governmental organisation engaged in the task.
International recognition of SANDF capability
and expertise was evident as a member of the
Logistics Division was requested to present a paper
on the disposal of ammunition at the International
Disposal Conference in Argentina.
Social Responsibility
Within the country, a poverty relief initiative was
undertaken, with a further partnership between the
SANDF and the Working for Water Programme of
the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, to
utilise military veterans to eradicate alien and invasive
vegetation on Defence Force-controlled properties.
This effort was named Operation VUSELELA and
has been extremely successful. Using the relatively
small sum of Rm14, a total of 5 000 hectares of
invasive vegetation had been eradicated.
The Division has, in support of the Government’s
goal of sustainable utilisation of natural resources,
embarked upon an Energy Efficiency Campaign in
order to reduce the demand for electricity through
participating in the National Energy Response Team
of the Department of Minerals and Energy. Over
and above this, the Division has also been partnering
in various Government initiatives on renewable
energy such as biodiesel, wind and solar energy.
A cooperative governance initiative was undertaken
to assist the Gauteng Provincial Government in
its Dinokeng Blue IQ Project to aid in the socioeconomic
development of the Dinokeng region.
The SANDF’s role in this project was to provide
a part of Ditholo Training Area for co-use in the
establishment of the Dinokeng Game Reserve. The
SANDF has in the process donated game with an
estimated value of Rm1,7 to the project and will
further enter into a co-use agreement in order to
contribute to the management of the Dinokeng
Game Reserve.
A number of other cooperative governance initiatives
have been initiated with local government in the
Gauteng Province through the establishment of
cooperation agreements for addressing biodiversity
and sustainability issues on Defence-controlled
areas. Amongst others are the Eeufees and Swartkop
Park training areas in Pretoria.
163 Annual Report FY 2007 - 2008
| Chapter 9 - Programme 7: Joint Support |