The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Hon. Lindiwe Sisulu will be accompanied by the acting Chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Lieutenant General Themba Matanzima and the acting Secretary for Defence, Mr Mthobisi Zondi in welcoming and bidding farewell to over 5 000 youths who have complied and have been accepted on the SANDFs Military Skills Development System (MSDS) first intake for the year 2011.
The 2011 MSDS recruits will be divided, as per organisational requirements, into the four Arms-of-Services of the SANDF, namely: the SA Army, SA Air Force, SA Navy and SA Military Health Service. The new recruits will undergo six months military training.
Upon successful completion and graduation of their military basic training (MBT) the recruits will be transferred to their various functional lines to specialise amongst in the general aviation field, health practitioners, engineers, mechanics and many others in the SANDF.
The MSDS programme is designed to inject young professionally skilled soldiers into the SANDF and to develop a sustainable pool of highly trained, disciplined and skilled personnel for government sector in the main and the private sector.
Over the past three years the SANDF has empowered a number young people with various skills. Some are automatically absorbed in the SANDF with others joining the Reserve Force or absorbed by other departments and private sector companies.
“The SANDF has become a training institution of choice to employers like the South African Police Force (SAPF), Transnet, the aviation industry and engineering. We are able to take in young people, train and empower them with necessary skills and make them available to different sectors, this is the DOD`s contribution to skills development” Minister Sisulu said.
You are cordially invited to send a journalist and or a camera person to attend this auspicious occasion in the lives of the recruits, their families and the DOD scheduled as follows:
Date: Sunday, 9 January 2011
Venue: Thaba Tshwane Military Sports Ground, Pretoria
Time: 08:00am – 14:00pm
RSVP
Mr Tuso Zibula
Cell: 072 127 1565
Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Maseko
Cell: 082 046 2639
Media enquiries:
Ndivhuwo Mabaya
Cell: 083 645 7838
