M Lekota: SAS Spioenkop handover

16 February 2007

Minister for Intelligence, Honourable Ronnie Kasrils,
Deputy Minister of Correctional Services, Honourable Loretta Jacobs
Councillor Ndosi Shongwe, the representative of the Mayor of Ekurhuleni Metro
Council,
Alderman Niki Holderness, Ward Councillor, Simon’s Town,
His Excellency, Mr Ambassador ADT, the German Ambassador to South Africa,
Mr Marquardt, Consul-General of Germany,
Mr Bodin, Consul-General of France
Dr Popo Molefe, Chairman of Armscor
Secretary for Defence, Mr Janaury Masilela,
Acting Chief of the South African National Defence Force, Lt Gen Rinus Janse
van Rensburg,
Vice Admiral Refiloe Mudimu, Chief of the South African Navy,
Members of the Plenary Defence Staff Council,
Flag officers, Officers, Warrant Officers, Members of the Ships Company of SAS
Spioenkop,
Distinguished guests,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen,

We meet once again here in Simon's Town where a year ago we handed over our
first frigate, SAS Amatola, to the command structure of the South African
National Defence Force (SANDF). Today we meet to hand over to the South African
Navy SAS Spioenkop, the third of four Valour Class SAN Frigates acquired under
the Strategic Defence Package. The fourth Frigate, SAS Mendi, is planned to be
handed over on 20 March this year in Port Elizabeth.

These ships were specifically designed to the SA Navy’s specific operational
and environmental requirements. SAS Spioenkop ranks amongst the most advanced
warships in the world today. She was built at the German shipyard Blohm and
Voss in Hamburg. She was named on 4 June 2003 by the then Chairperson of the
Portfolio Committee on Defence, Honourable Thandi Modise, who most
unfortunately cannot be with us on this momentous day because of unavoidable
duties as the speaker of the North West Provincial Legislature. SAS Spioenkop
was commissioned on 15 March 2004 and following successful sea trials, she set
sail from Germany to arrive in South Africa on 31 May 2004. Since her arrival,
she has been fitted with her Combat Suite and successfully completed system
integration and sea trials.

The Frigate is stealth designed and fitted with the latest technologies and
very capable weapons to offer a significant deterrent to any would be
aggressor. Due to her size and sea-keeping ability, she is suitable for
Littoral and Blue Water operations. She also allows for the operation of
Maritime Helicopters in the marginal sea conditions that are experienced within
the South African Exclusive Economic Zone.

In addition to carrying its own helicopter, the Frigate can land and refuel
other helicopters. It can thus support land operations by providing an
additional refuelling station for helicopters involved in the land operation.
Supported by 126 competent young and energetic members, the vast majority of
which are black and 16 are women, SAS Spioenkop can also provide naval gunfire
support to the land forces ashore.

SAS Spioenkop and her three sisters, together with our submarines, will
protect South African waters as well as the waters of our neighbours and will
strike fear into the hearts of any would-be perpetrators of crime such as human
trafficking, drug trafficking, and gun running, poaching of our marine
resources as well as piracy.

Working together with the South African Army, the South African Air Force
and the South African Military Health Services, the SA Navy is promoting peace,
security and stability in the region and on the continent by conducting tasks
including Peace Support Operations. This will include provision of medical and
logistics support during disaster relief operations and evacuation
operations

SAS Isandlwana has been just as active. In October last year she crossed the
South Atlantic and participated in the bi-annual naval exercise, Exercise
Atlasur, with the navies of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. By all reports, she
performed admirably there. On completion of Atlasur she rounded the notorious
Cape Horn into the teeth of a 160 km/h storm and then visited Chile where she
further strengthened diplomatic ties making a significant contribution to
South-South relationships.

When on Tuesday I addressed members of the South African National Defence
Force in Bloemfontein returning from a peace-keeping mission in Burundi, I
stated that the most technologically advanced hardware is ineffectual in the
absence of competent and skilled men and women and is of little use in the
absence of visionary and strategic leadership. It is this that has informed our
efforts to not only to re-equip the National Defence Force, but also to
rejuvenate our human resources.

Additional impetus has been provided by the introduction, in 2006, of the
Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA). Government has
established and implemented this mechanism in order to foster the development
of skill and economic prosperity for all. The role of our department is
critical in ensuring success in this arena.

We are deeply committed to the development of such a skills base as it is
such skills which are pivotal to economic prosperity, social development and
stability, not only in our country, but also in the Southern African
Development Community (SADC).

The process to re-equip the South African National Defence has opened new
opportunities for our youth. Our new ships, submarines and aircraft require
considerable numbers of competent young women and men to serve in and operate
them. It is such rejuvenation, together with the considerable expertise and
intellectual capital of those who have nurtured and mentored the new cadres to
make them accomplished sailors and soldiers they have become, which allows the
objectives of our government to be accomplished.

We foresee that these ships and submarines will be deployed more and more in
the future and that the South African Navy will truly be a People’s Navy and a
Navy at Sea. But, more importantly, the SAS Spioenkop adds to the arsenal of
our Region of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The problems
facing our region such as disaster relief requirements, the transportation of
ballot papers and military hardware require the capacity of ships such as the
SAS Spioenkop. These objectives are fundamental to the realisation of the SADC
Brigade.

We can see now that our government's commitments to the region, to the
continent and to our South-South co-operation will result in an increasing
obligation on the part of our sea, air and land forces. This will further
result in an ever-higher demand for competent people who are prepared to deploy
for extended periods and for visionary and committed leadership. In this
context the retention of scarce skills is not only important, but fundamental
to the accomplishment of our strategic objectives.

To the project teams, the contractors and especially the Officer Commanding
of this giant of the high seas, Captain Faure, your ship and your crew, we wish
you all fair winds and absolute success in everything you do. We are proud of
you. Your country is proud of you. We assure you we have every confidence that
you will serve our country in the true spirit epitomised by the name of your
ship, SAS Spioenkop.

The name Spioenkop traditionally denotes a vantage point which would be
assumed in battle in order to provide lookouts with reconnaissance information.
That being the era in which advanced technology, so taken for granted today,
was unknown. We trust that SAS Spioenkop will provide South Africa and our
region with a vantage point, the fruits which will be abundant and shared
amongst our entire continent.

To Admiral Mudimu, we wish you and the South African Navy the best and the
people’s blessings. As a young navy, in a youthful democracy, your achievements
have been many. May the rejuvenated navy grow from strength to strength as you
serve our wonderful country and the continent, ensuring the peace and
prosperity that our region richly deserves.

I thank you

Issued by: Department of Defence
16 February 2007