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27 May 2008

On Friday, 9 May 2008, we undertook a visit to the Ten Anti Aircraft Regiment in Kimberly to meet with survivors of the accident that occurred at the South African Army Combat Training Centre (SA Army CTC) in Lohatlha on 12 October 2007.

As part of the visit, we were briefed on the progress report following the malfunctioning gun accident, which claimed the lives of nine members of ten Anti Aircraft Regiment and left 15 injured.

The visit was a way of extending the nation's gratitude and support by the Department of Defence to the injured soldiers for their dedicated and selfless military service to the nation and to honour the memory of the soldiers who fell on the day.

It would be false to pretend that the death of our soldiers does not hurt us. The loss of every fallen soldier should hurt us, lest we ever forget the terrible costs of war, and the sublime love of those who sacrifice everything on our behalf. We respect and mourn their death.

There has been great progress towards the recovery by those who were injured, and those who suffered psychological scares are receiving continuous support in the form of counselling.

We want to reiterate that those who were affected by the accident will be supported by the Department until they are fully recovered. Those with serious injuries and who cannot continue with their present training and jobs will be re-skilled and be placed in environments where they can perform other functions. It must be emphasised that no one will lose his or her job.

On the 22 May saw the arrival of the Submarine, the SAS Queen Modjadji I, in Simon's Town. This marked the conclusion of the acceptance of South African Navy vessels acquired under the auspices of the Strategic Defence Packages, with four Meko Class Frigates and two other Type 209 MOD SA Submarines having been accepted and integrated into the SA Navy Force previously.

The integration and work-up of these vessels into the South African Navy Combat Capability Framework has seen the SA Navy undergo a transformation from a poorly equipped fleet, comprising largely obsolete hardware, to a fleet capable of defending the territorial integrity of our country, as well as of supporting the foreign policy objectives of government within the sphere of Maritime Security.

The SA Navy now has a credible foundation from which to undergo further development and consolidation, and to advance key Departmental Strategic Objectives.

This is particularly pertinent within the context of furthering the African Agenda, both regionally and continentally.

The infusion of young, fit and healthy members in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), through the Military Skills Development System (MSDS) is a direct contributing factor towards the operational readiness and success of our defence service delivery in peace operations.

The MSDS is putting the SANDF firmly on a pathway of sustainable rejuvenation and enhanced operational readiness.

With the funds allocated for this purpose the SANDF planning provides for an increase of the intakes towards the end of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) period to have 11 000 MSDS members in the system. From the MSDS allocated to the Navy, we envisage to get enough suitable members to train for the submarines and frigates.

In order to optimise the post-Military Skills Development employment process, we have established a South African Navy Re-Deployment Agency, and links have been forged with a number of largely maritime industries.

This initiative has been a success with our recruits obtaining employment in a range of sectors and departments, including the South African Police Service.

On completion of their utilisation in the South African Navy, these young people will play an important role in building our country and they will also participate in the Reserve Force Component.

Good progress is being made with the rebuilding of the Reserve Force. At the end of 2007, some 1 800 trained MSDS members were transferred to the Reserves.

The SANDF was successful in assisting many of these volunteers to find civilian employment. Increased MSDS intakes in future years will further grow the Reserve Force and enhance representatively of the component.

The deployment of Reserves in peace support operations in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been extended to Sudan.

The utility of the Reserve Force was further demonstrated during the Public Service Strike when its members formed in excess of 20 percent of the troops deployed.

Through the South African National Defence Force, we have introduced a maintenance and repair capability through the establishment of the Works Regiment, which will be deployed to refurbish and maintain our facilities.

The creation of the Works Regiment could not have come at the right time as our facilities throughout the country are in dire need of maintenance and repair.

Through this capability within our environment, we will be able to keep all our facilities in good condition and be able to have them last longer.

It has always been my belief to develop such a capability within our environment. It has always been imperative for the SANDF, or any defence force for that matter, to be self-reliant.

The Department of Defence Works Regiment must also be seen as part of our contribution to enhance the national initiatives of Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa (AsgiSA) and Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA) by re-skilling defence personnel for the creation of the required skills that can be deployed throughout the entire Department of Defence and for the country when needed.

The Works Regiment will also impart crucial skills to soldiers to enable them to care for themselves when they exit the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

All the efforts mentioned above shall contribute towards a capable and disciplined defence force that will enable the Department of Defence (DoD) to execute its mandate.

The Military Discipline Bill is currently before Cabinet for approval. In essence, the Bill proposes to form a statutory basis for administration of justice in the South African National Defence Force.

The Bill brings together the Military Discipline Supplementary Act of 1999 and the Defence Act of 1995 as well as measures to the first schedule thereto known as Discipline Code into one document.

The objectives of the Bill are to:

* Provide for proper administration of military justice in a manner that achieves the maintenance of discipline in the Defence Force and promotes equality, fairness, transparency and accountability.
* Establish military courts that are independent and appoint judicial officers of those courts who are independent.
* Ensure fair military trails of persons that appear before military courts.
* Establish the Commanding Officers' disciplinary hearing.
* Promote fair treatment of persons who are subject to the Commanding Officer's disciplinary hearing.
* Ensure that the military legal system and all its aspects comply with the Constitution.
* Provides for the annual review of any aspect of the military legal system in order to ensure that it compiles with the Constitution and empowers the defence force to fulfil its constitutional responsibilities.

This Bill will go a long way in ensuring that the SANDF is able to instil discipline in its ranks for an even better defence force of our country.

The DoD's information and communication technology (ICT) requirements indicate a strong upward growth curve owing to diverse defence operational requirements.

It is no longer necessary to explain to the house the need to continue to develop our ICT capability as this will continue to be one of the major tools that will enhance our effectiveness in our work and thus the demand will rise on a continuous basis.

Madam Chairperson, although we repeatedly say the issue of pensions is the responsibility of the National Treasury.

However, the DoD has established a directorate under the Chief of Human Resources to assist veterans with applications and to trace those whose whereabouts are not known. Money has been acquired to form a Military Veterans Agency and work on its establishment is in progress. This agency will no doubt contribute even further in alleviating the plight of our veterans.

We are positive that before the end of the year a single body for veterans will be formed. A national conference that will be attended by all associations will be held during the course of the second half of this year to chart a way in this regard.

In conclusion, as part of the government initiatives of the Moral Regeneration Movement under the guidance of the Deputy President, SANDF Chaplains will be fully involved in the launch of positive values on 29 July 2008 at Air Force Base Waterkloof. The SANDF will use these positive values to combat criminality and corruption within the DoD.

Lastly, Madam Chairperson, the DoD will play host to the International Military Chiefs of Chaplaincy Conference. This will be the first time that this conference is hosted on African. It will be held in Cape Town from 1 to 6 February 2009.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Defence
27 May 2008