National Assembly, Cape Town
27 March 2007
Madam Speaker/Chairperson
The Department of Defence (DoD) has grappled with the challenges of
transformation since 1994, especially representivity among its uniformed staff.
However, it is encouraging that we can today state that the issue of
representivity is steadily but surely getting resolved. General representivity
since 1994 has changed remarkably.
Presently, female soldiers make up 18% of the total of the South African
National Defence Force (SANDF) strength, which is higher than in most
developed, and developing countries. The number of women brigadiers general has
also increased considerably even though it has not reached the level that we
would want.
The present gender composition of the Military Skills Development System
(MSDS) personnel gives us some encouragement for the future. Of the total
strength of 5 166 MSDS soldiers, 1 536, or 30%, are women. If this trend
continues, by 2009 we shall be close to achieving our target. The challenge
that we need to deal with as far as representivity is concerned among MSDS, is
to attract and recruit a sizable number of white young men and women. White
representation is at present unacceptably low at 6%. Our recruitment division
is busy devising strategies to overcome this challenge.
Chairperson, let me take this opportunity to call on South African youth,
both black and white, to join the SANDF. This will ensure that the future SANDF
does not become an all black affair, but reflect the demographics of the
country at all levels.
The challenge that existed over the years with regard to the middle
management in the military, unfortunately, still exists. The majority of
members in the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel are mostly white, and of
course, male. The Department of Defence hopes that through the introduction of
the Member Exit Mechanism (MEM) and fast tracking of targeted individuals
within the SANDF will eventually overcome this challenge. This mechanism which
is voluntary, allows the Department to exercise discretion to retain personnel
who possess essential skills and experience.
In line with our celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Womenâs march to
Pretoria, we approached Cabinet with names of South African women who made a
contribution to the development of the country. Cabinet then approved the
naming of the ships after Charlotte Maxeke, Chieftainess âManthatisi and Queen
Modjadji.
On 15 March 2007, the SAS Charlotte Maxeke left Emden in Germany,
accompanied by SAS Drakensburg, on her maiden voyage to Simons Town. She is
scheduled to arrive at Simons Town in Cape Town at the end of April 2007; and
will join her sister, SAS Manthatisi in South African waters. SAS Queen
Modjadji is expected in our waters at about the same time next year.
I am pleased to inform you that a Member of this House, Mrs Rita Ndzanga,
travelled with me to Germany to name the ship. Mrs Ndzanga is also part of the
women who made a contribution to the development of the country and still
serves the people at her age.
As we acquire this new equipment, we train young people to be in a position
to operate them. A large number of blacks have since been trained. One of the
developments of this training is the ascendancy of Captain Bubele Kitie Mhlana
â otherwise known as "Bravo" - to the captaincy of SAS Isandlwana. The process
of qualifying as a Naval Commander of a frigate is long and arduous and demands
both considerable intellectual growth and development. The command of a frigate
is limited to those who truly excel. Bravo Mhlana passed the tests and became
the first African Commander. We are proud with these strides that we are making
in the transformation of the SANDF.
Whilst the SA Navy has concentrated largely on its capital renewal
programmes during the last number of years the renewal of its human resource
component has not lagged behind. Through the MSDS the SA Navy has provided on
average, 600 young men and women per year, the opportunity to complete the 2
years Military Skills Development Programme. Nearly 60% of these youngsters
were subsequently afforded the opportunity to migrate into the Core Career
Service System and are serving today. The remaining 40% are being incorporated
into the SA Navy Reserves.
The MSDS has to some extent started to improve our representivity in the
SANDF, especially among junior officers. It has contributed immensely in
improving the age profile of the regular force, privates and non-commissioned
officers.
The SA Air Force has in the past few years embarked on improving
representivity among its ranks by recruiting more trainers and trainees. This
is producing good results from Langebaanweg Central Flying School.
In addition, we have devised a strategy to counter the exodus of our pilots
and technicians, by introducing a incentive scheme to retain them. This would
be implemented this month.
The Ministry has engaged the CEO and President of the South African Airways
(SAA) to explore ways of encouraging SAA pilots to join the Reserve Force. This
will mean that we do not completely lose the expertise of those who leave the
Air Force to join SAA as they will still be useful to the National Defence
Force.
In my budget vote address last year I reported that the Department had
launched a re-skilling project for military veterans, together with the South
African Security Sector Education Training Authority (SASSETA). Since we
started with the programme a number of veterans were provided with various
skills to make it easier for them to find employment.
We started by updating and populating the database for military veterans, as
there were a number of bona fide veterans from the Non Statutory Forces whose
names did not appear on the Certified Personnel Register. The database helps us
to gauge the challenge that we are faced with and also eliminates the danger of
enrolling in our programmes individuals who do not qualify thus reserving the
limited resources for those whom they are meant. The process to verify others
continues.
The SASSETA Project has already trained about 800 veterans, which is 17% of
the target. A number of these veterans have been placed in jobs. I am happy to
report that some provincial governments have come on board and have started
programmes to assist veterans in their respective provinces. I want to mention
the Impophoma project in Gauteng, which has embarked on a large scale to offer
learnerships to veterans who have received training. Impophoma is planning to
spread their project nationally.
Some Metropolitan Municipalities, notably, Ekurhuleni, have also embarked on
programmes to train and place military veterans. Other metros have also
undertaken to do the same.
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestryâs Working for Water project to
cut down alien vegetation continues to provide employment and to impart
entrepreneurial skills to military veterans in a number of provinces. This
department and some of the provincial governments understand that the challenge
of assisting veterans is not a preserve of Defence, but is the responsibility
of all departments and tiers of governments. I once again make an appeal to my
colleagues in other departments to come on board and assist these destitute
veterans who have done so much for our country so that they too, can be able to
lead decent lives.
During the new financial year, we intend to finalise the inclusion for
medical assistance those veterans and their dependants whose status were
verified and appear on the database. While this may add an extra strain on the
budget, it will go a long way in assisting all those veterans who are old or
sickly and cannot benefit from the skills programmes. We get continuous reports
of how these veterans die in miserable conditions. We have learned from
experience in working with the veterans that may need psychological counselling
to cope with civilian life.
Chairperson, I would like to mention the payments of NSF pensions. While the
payments of these pensions is a National Treasury responsibility, the
Department of Defence plays a role in providing information to Treasury and in
tracing some of the members who have separated from the SANDF. At present, 9
280 members have exited the system and therefore qualify to receive an NSF
pension. Some of the difficulties that contribute to delays include the tracing
of members whose present whereabouts are not known. Other applicants dispute
the dates that is stated as the time they joined an NSF.
Measures have been taken to try to resolve the situation and the DoD
officials meet with the National Treasury regularly to try to improve this
situation.
The DoD through the Chaplaincy has embarked on an HIV and AIDS awareness
programme of changing behaviour and attitudes on two fronts. Firstly, it is
helping our people to make decisions on grounds of values and ethics enhancing
their own moral fibre and secondly, helping our people to make value based
decisions on all relationships.
More than 10,000 members of the DOD went through the programme in the past
four years. At present the DOD is concentrating on equipping all MSD members
with these skills within the first 2 months after entering the Department.
The Department has also reached out with this program to train our fellow
chaplains of SADC as well as those in SAPS.
The DOD, through the Chaplaincy, took the lead in hosting a Moral
Regeneration conference where, for the first time ever, all religious bodies
and faith groups in our country collectively pronounced themselves and
committed themselves to Moral Rejuvenation. They also participated with other
stakeholders on a broader concept plan of how to address moral regeneration
issues in line with the programs of Government. The outcome of the conference
was not only helpful for us as a Department, but also to faith groups,
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and education institutions to update
their own programs.
As the Minister said, I want to thank the Secretary for Defence, the Chief
of the SANDF and the Plenary Defence Staff Council (PDSC) and all the officials
in the DoD who positively work to realise the mandate of the Department.
Issued by: Department of Defence
27 March 2007
