letters to the editor s a s o l d i e r - dod.mil.zadod.mil.za/sasoldier/2011/soldmay11net.pdf ·...

lleetttteerrss to the editor S A S O L D I E R

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:06

SAA SOLDIERSAA SOLDIERThe of f i c ia l month ly magaz ine of the SA Department of Defence

From the Editor's desk

Lettersto the Editor

Minister Sisulu's Budget Vote

Medics treated cholera in KwaZulu-Natal

Kanimambo (thank you) South Africa

Meet our first black female pilot

Our deployed ambassadors

4

5

10

13

18 ProtectingHuman Rights

The launch of the SADC BRIGADE in Lusaka

Facelift and upgrade of AFB Waterkloof

Commander-in-Chief honours SA peacekeepers

Defence TV wins top international film award

DOD closes gaps on service delivery

SAAF boasts first female Gripen pilot in the world

The SANDF returns to border control

SA Air Force welcomes international leaders

Ensuring the smooth running of the World Summit

Competing in the first Africa Military Games

Learners displaying the spirit of Siyandiza

Parliamentarians visited our soldiers abroad

The Force Commander in Burundi speaks out

SA Soldier sweeps Government Awards

Securing the elections in the Comores

SANDF reached out to Mozambique flood victims

22

STREET ADDRESSDefence Headquartersc/o Nossob and Boeing StErasmuskloofPRETORIA

POSTAL ADDRESSSA SOLDIERPrivate Bag X158PRETORIA, 0001

TELEPHONETel: 012 355 6341 Fax: 012 355 6399email: [email protected]: www.dod.mil.za

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor: Ms Nelda Pienaar

Assistant Editor: Mr Lufuno Netshirembe

Editorial Staff: Mr Kgabo Mashamaite S Sgt Lebogang TlhaoleSgt Elias MahumaCpl Ally Rakoma Cpl Itumeleng Makhubela

CONTRIBUTIONS: Although all possible care is takenwith articles, the editorial staff cannot take any responsibility for lostarticles and photographs.

REPRODUCTION, PRINTING &DISTRIBUTION:Shereno Printers10 Atlas Road Dunswart, Boksburg Tel: (011) 894 4150Fax: (011) 894 4153email: [email protected]

Text Editor: Mr Eugene Muller

Translation Directorate LanguageConsultant: Services

Distribution: Mr Jim Tshabalala Tel: 012 355 6341

Layout & Design: Mr Werner v/d Westhuizen

12

M A Y 2 0 1 12

15

EDITORIAL BOARDMr S. Dlamini (Chairperson)Brig Gen M.M. Visser Cpln M.P.K. Masemola

Col S.A. MotswadiraCol M.E. PhekoCol S.P. ZeemanCdr C.E. Khumalo

Lt Col R. LeburuMs N. Pienaar Lt S.E. Segone Mr L.R.M. Netshirembe

19

31

25

32

17

37

36

40

43

45

46

34

41

www.dod.mil.za

www.dod.mil.za

2005 - Winner of the Government Communicator of the Year Award (GCIS).2005 - Winner of the National Ubungcweti Award (GCIS).

44

47

35

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:07

SA SOLDIER is published monthly - 12 issues per year. The views and opinionsexpressed by the authors of articles are those of the authors and do not necessarilyrepresent those of the Department of Defence (DOD). Acceptance and publica-tion of advertorial and advertising matter in SA SOLDIER does not constituteDOD endorsement or warranty in respect of goods or services therein described.The DOD does not assume any liability in respect of any claims made in adver-tisements.

COPYRIGHT: No article or picture in this magazine may be reproduced withoutthe written consent of the Editor.

3M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

36

For the latest news on defence matters in South Africa, visit our website at: www.dod.mil.za

FRONT COVER: SA Soldier, celebrating ten years of military journalistic exellence. (Graphic: Defence Corporate Communication, Ms Mpho Stambles)

ABOVE: Two soldiers walking two admitted patients to a different ward with thehope of finding two more vacant beds. (Photo: Cpl Elias Mahuma)

36

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:07

M A Y 2 0 1 14

mmeessssaaggee from the editorS A S O L D I E R

s promised, here is the Special Birthday Edition of SA Soldier packed with previously published articles of the past ten years. Asyou walk (read) down memory lane you will realise once again how far we, as the Department of Defence, have come over the pastten years …

Not only is SA Soldier celebrating its birthday this month, but our Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms LindiweSisulu, also celebrated her birthday on 10 May. The SA Soldier Team would like to wish her great health, wealth and happiness inthe years to come.

The SA Soldier Team also wants to thank you, our loyal readers, for your vote of confidence in your very own magazine - SA Soldier -because without you SA Soldier would not be here today. We hope to enlighten, entertain and inform you regarding military issues for manyyears to come.

Viva SA Soldier! Viva!

Nelda PienaarEditor

A

The SA Soldier Editorial Team, fltr: Cpl Itumeleng Makhubela, Mr Jim Tshabalala, Cpl AllyRakoma, Sgt Elias Mahuma, Ms Nelda Pienaar, Mr Lufuno Netshirembe, Ms Bibi Sibanyoni, Mr Kgabo Mashamaite and S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole. (Photo: WO2 David Nomtshongwana)

1 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y

Ceelleebbrraattiing 1100 yeaarss off

mmiilliittaarryy jjoouurrnnaalistticc eexxcellllenccee

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:07


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

Winning letter

R200-00 prize for the best letterSA SOLDIER welcomes letters to the Editor. Short letters are more likely tobe published, and all letters may be edited for reasons of style, accuracy orspace limitations. Letters should preferably be typewritten and double-spaced. All letters must include the writer's full name, address and home tele-phone number. The volume of letters we receive makes individual acknowl-edgement impossible. Please send your letters to: The Editor, SA SOLDIERLetters, Private Bag X158, Pretoria, 0001. Letters may also be faxed to (012)355-6399 or sent via email to [email protected]. We would like to hear yourcomments or ideas, particularly about matters affecting members of theDepartment of Defence. Regrettably, anonymous letters cannot be answeredofficially or published - Editor.

BEING THERE IN NEEDI was on course for the past threemonths at the SA Army CombatTraining Centre. During this time, a lotof different things affected my life andat some point in the course I was con-sidering withdrawing from the course.

There was one individual at the"scary" SAA Combat Training Centre

that did not want me to withdrawfrom the course and he motivated mewhen I needed it the most.

Today, I would like to take theopportunity to thank Lt Col Dladla forassisting me during the difficult time Iexperienced during my course at theSA Army Combat Training Centre.

Thank you for listening and under-standing - and most importantly forhelping me through this difficult timeduring the course.

It is great to know that wonderfulpeople like you still exist. Capt C. vander Zandt, Oudtshoorn MilitaryPolice

A TINGE OF SADNESSOn Monday 28 March 2011 we deliv-ered the last copies of the SA Soldiermagazine in terms of our contractwith the DOD. A tinge of sadness hasbefallen us all at CoordinatingConcepts as it was an absolute delightto have been of service to you, yourteam and the DOD.

I personally feel somewhat devas-tated as I have been involved with theprinting and distribution of the maga-zine in my capacity as manager atCTP Printers (1995 - 2000), FormesetPrinters (2000 - 2007) and currentlyCoordinating Concepts.

Through all this time I have cometo know the editorial team and certain-ly am delighted to have been involvedwith the staff making up this team. Wealso got to know the staff receivingthese magazines at the various bases aswell. Once again, we thank you andthe DOD for allowing CoordinatingConcepts, a small black woman ownedcc, the opportunity to produce yourmagazine for the past 27 months andhope to be able to do so in the futureagain. Many thanks and regards.Brian Brown, Production ManagerCoordinating Concepts

* Dear Brian & Bev, Thank you foryour heartfelt farewell letters. We at SASoldier will miss you and your dedicatedteam very much. The professional andpassionate manner in which you and yourteam saw to the reproduction, printingand distribution services of SA Soldierover the past two years was most com-mendable. Thank you for so often walkingthe extra mile when required. We canunhesitatingly recommend you and yourteam's expert service to any other printmedia. - Ed.

THANKSThanks for a lovely business relation-ship we nurtured over the past twoyears. We were glad to have had theopportunity to read the magazinewhile we were engaging theDepartment, and we wish the teamwell in the future with all those love-ly, interesting articles. Good luck.Bev Brown, Director CoordinatingConcepts

I WILL STAFF MYSELFThis is to remind my colleagues in theDOD that it is a new year and regis-trations at educational institutions willtake place. I want to share the follow-ing story with you.

I studied with a Private (SA Army)at Centurion College last year. Hestudied technical subjects, includingmathematics. Because of his impres-sive results in mathematics his unitregistered him with the PretoriaTechnikon for 2003. This means infuture this person will no longer be atthe gate as an "RP".

I want members to know that witheducation you will never cry aboutstaffing in the DOD. Many peopleimagine you do not have to study,except what concerns your mustering. Iam a qualified military policeman, butI am proud to say that I hold an N5Certificate in Electronic Engineering,for which I studied during eveningclasses at Centurion College between2002 and 2003.

You can be in one corps and beinterested in another - my advice is tostudy in the direction you desire. You

will staff yourself because I know youwill have qualifications that those whoare already staffed do not have. Youmay be in the infantry, but if you canproduce a diploma in policing I amsure you can be staffed as an "MP" ifthat is your dream.

Gone are the days when the mili-tary was about physical strength. Nowit is education, qualification and tech-nology. So invest in it. Cpl N. Ngcobo,Dequar Military Police (letter waspreviously published in SA Soldier:May 2003, page 6)

5

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:07

M A Y 2 0 1 16

lleetttteerrss to the editorS A S O L D I E R

MEMORIAL SERVICE - TRIBUTEI feel honoured to be here to say good-bye to Col Rosa Nel. She was a greatwoman who used her life to serve usall. God uses good people to do greatthings.

I met Lt Col Rosa Nel in 2003 at theCentral Procurement Service Centre inGarrison. The very first time we metwe did not click as I regrettably reliedon some rumours as to how difficult itwas to work with her. On that day Igave Rosa no chance to answer any ofmy questions. I remember dismissingher and giving her an immediatewarning. It took me a few months tounderstand how much an asset shewas to the Department. I sat back, rec-ollected, listened to her story, andrealised I had wrongly been dismissiveof her and she was the best person towork with. She later told me that theday I dismissed her she went to con-fide in her husband AARD. Lt Col Nelcontemplated leaving the DefenceForce because of my unruly behaviour.I assumed that someone advised her tostay and do her work.

I later started working with her andrealised how dependable she was. Shebecame my Pillar of Strength. Hence Iattended the SA Air Force's careermanagement seminar and requestedapproval for her promotion to Colonel.From the day she was promoted, ColNel excelled further with her work andI decided to open the doors to listen toher advice as a colleague and some-times as a parent.

Col Rosa Nel was at work everyweekday at 06:30 and worked until late

during her full-time employment untilher retirement. It was as if we did nothave enough of her service and decidedto recall the now retired Col Nel for aperiod of over two years. She helped meto solidify the Alternative ServiceDelivery dealing with the cost benefitanalysis for all outsourcing of the DOD'snon-core services. I was always able todismiss the Auditor General's qualifica-tions and all media enquiries because ofher help and commitment.

When I lost my wife to the same dis-ease, i.e. cancer, exactly five years ago,Rosa supported me and I am now stand-ing tall because of her support. Sheadopted my kids and advised them justlike their grandmother every time theyvisited our offices. My little 9-year-olddaughter would disappear from me andwhen asked where she was Lerato saidshe was with Tannie Rosa. She sewed hera beautiful scarf and bag, which mydaughter treasures. Lerato played withLarisa, Col Nel's granddaughter, duringthe school holidays. Two weeks ago,Rosa came to me and told me excitedlythat Larisa qualified in athletics and wasto run in Gauteng the next week. I neverhad a chance to hear how Larisa compet-ed because I was abroad.

Rosa told me all about her challengeswith her disease and led me to believethat a cure would be arriving from theUSA within days. We waited patiently,but I think it was delayed and Godrecruited her to work for Him. She isnow gone and sadly never had a chanceto say goodbye and maybe send her witha message to my late wife. Last night, I

told my little girl that her Tannie Rosawent to heaven and I could not stopher from crying.

Rosa taught me that life is shortand the most important part of life isthe people in it. Rosa, you have gracedmy life more than you will ever know.I hope that Rosa will continue to liveon within our hearts and minds.

The memories I have shared withher will forever be cherished andremembered. Rosa will forever live inmy heart … In our hearts. "For youdied, and your life is now hidden withChrist in God" - Colossians 3:3.

(God had a plan for Rosa's life asHe has for all our lives. These plansHe had even before we were born. Hisplans for us are connected to Christ.He says that if we want to know whatGod's plans are for our future, weneed to know Christ better and bet-ter"). Kopano Peter Lebelo, ChiefDirector Materiel Governance in theDOD

When the idea of benchmarking wasfirst introduced in the SANDF, I saidto myself that the process was des-tined to fail.

My main concern was that it wasstill too early to embark on such a pro-cess, because it was to be done withthe so-called developed countries andSouth Africa was still going through atransition period. I thought that thiswas a Defence Force top brass blunderand the whole thing would definitelyfail. However, I failed to look at thebroader picture of the whole process: Ireasoned on the assumption that itwas doomed to failure.

The fact is that these developedcountries produce hi-tech equipment,

and we cannot match their capabilitiesin designing and manufacturing. Ithought that benchmarking was only aword with no relevance to us and that itwould never materialise.

Although I know that consulting theexperts was crucial to developing theintegrated forces, I thought that ourown experts should handle it.

As I am an ardent reader of SASoldier I noticed that some overseascountries were interested in purchasingour equipment. I was speechless withsurprise and wanted to know why theywere acquiring equipment from a so-called Third World country.

I know that the quality of our prod-ucts is usually doubted in most civilised

BENCHMARKING GOOD IDEAScountries. Let this fact not mislead youto think that I honour Western coun-tries, but I do have a high respect fortheir technological capabilities. Mycountry will always be my countryand I am an African.

We have conducted exercises andnumerous operations with some of theforeign countries and they wereappalled at our capabilities and stan-dard of training. Our Chief of the SAArmy is building bridges betweencountries. I congratulate him on spear-heading the benchmarking processand showing the world our capabili-ties. Pte M.J. Kgoele, 2 SAI Bn (letterwas previously published in SASoldier: May 2004, page 6)

Col Rosa Nel.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:07

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 7


BE YOURSELFOne's appearance has become soimportant that most of us spend a lotof time trying to look and act a cer-tain way to be part of a crowd. Butwhen it comes to the battle of colourit is all about warfare. Often we lookat people from the outside. We donot realise that we get so wrapped upin being different that we forget to betrue to ourselves. Labelling othersreinforces our own position of power.Being yourself means allowing othersto be themselves. And this is far moreimportant than belonging to a race orgroup. L Cpl B.S. Mbongo, 6 SAIBn. (letter was previously publishedin SA Soldier: May 2005, page 6)

WHY NOT GIVE THEM FLOWERS NOW?I dedicate this letter to members infect-ed with HIV and AIDS, those who aresuffering from this life-threatening dis-ease, the terminally ill, AIDS orphansand those thinking of committing sui-cide.

"Take away my importance andyou crush me," Samuel Johnson said.No human being can be genuinelyhappy unless he or she stands well inthe esteem of fellow mortals. Why notgive them flowers now, while they canbe appreciated? Why wait until theirhearts have stopped, their eyes areunseeing, and they are not listening.

I have a message for them all: TheLord is your shade at your right hand,

MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACETo be part of this world is one of thegreatest things to make one happyand to make others want to be associ-ated with us because the Almightygave us different skills so as to makethe world a better place for all of us.We all have talents that bring out thegood in each of us.

God created us and gave us theworld, intelligence and power tomake life better around us. He gaveeverybody a piece of sunshine to livefor and to love ourselves and otherpeople. We should therefore ratherlook after other people and not lookdown on them. He also gave us manytalents to use and help us to live a bet-ter life and improve us in this world.

A typical example is a child,because when he is born his hands areclosed, but later his hands will beopened to show that he is using the tal-ent that God gave him. You can doyour own thing with your skills to besuccessful in life and live a better life.Stop looking at other people and usethe talent that God gave you.

If you keep on looking at other peo-ple, you will eventually forget that youare talented too and you will nevermake a success of your own life. Usingyour own talents will ensure that theworld becomes a better place for you.Rfn P.H. Damente, 6 SAI Bn (letterwas previously published in SASoldier: May 2006, page 6)

He will keep you from all harm, Hewill watch over your lives and Hedestined you for glory before timebegan. There is no grief, which timedoesn't soften. Don't feel shame, lowself-esteem and embarrassment. Youhave a life ahead of you, your life ismore important than the disease andthe problems you are facing.

Don't give up the essence of whoyou are. In the darkness of yourhearts God is your light. He is thestrength of your life. He will restoreyour souls and make you normalagain. He will hold you and give youcourage and faith. What God can be isquite beyond our powers. So if peoplefail you and give up on you, knowthat God cares, He will never fail you.You may be tired and weary. Youmay stumble and fall. Have faith andput your hopes in the Lord and youwill be renewed.

"The treaty you have made withdeath will be abolished, and youragreement with the world of the deadwill be cancelled. When disastersweeps down, you will be overcome"- Isaiah 28:18.

Always know that there are thosewho love and understand and willalways be there when you feel mostalone. Your presence is a present tothe world. God has a reason for youto be here. I am hopeful and pray thatwhen all human endeavours havefailed, God will step in and lift youup. I wish you good health and God'sblessings. Lord, use us in service toothers in need, that we may shareyour love with them. Amen. A.M.Rakoma, Moetladimo, Tzaneen (let-ter was previously published in SASoldier: November 2005, page 6)

WOMEN ON PARADEOn 28 February 2007 women of ArmySupport Base Bloemfontein were lead-ing men at the parade. The women ofASB Bloemfontein included theParade Commander, Parade Secondin Command, Adjutant, CompanyCommanders, Platoon Commanders,Parade Sergeant Major, CompanySergeant Majors, Platoon Sergeantsand Chaplain. The parade was wellorganised. Women of Army SupportBase Bloemfontein said ignoring themhad to come to an end; they had to beacknowledged and developed.

The General Officer Commanding,Brig Gen M.M. Moadira, mentionedthat women had opportunities in theSANDF. He said the SANDF prohibit-ed any form of discrimination againstwomen employed in the Department.Women must be offered the samecareer opportunities and scope as menand enjoy the same service benefits.Women of Army Support BaseBloemfontein are so lucky to be com-manded by Brig Gen Moadira becausein 2005 he established a women'sforum in the base were women have

been discussing women's issues on amonthly basis for the past two years.

Ladies, I congratulate you, youhave done a good job, keep it up.Stop hiding yourself; show the menthat you also can be leaders. CaptM.M. Semaushu, ASB Bloemfontein(letter was previously published inSA Soldier: May 2007, page 6)

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:07

M A Y 2 0 1 1

lleetttteerrss to the editorS A S O L D I E R

EXTERNAL DEPLOYMENTThe SA Government is playing a fun-damental role in bringing peace andpromoting talks among the fightinggroups in the Sudan, the Democraticrepublic of Congo (DRC), Burundiand the Ivory Coast. Men and womendeployed in these countries have lefteverything at home to be involved inpeacekeeping missions to preach thegospel of reconciliation and peace inthese war-torn countries.

I write this letter to commend therole played by our military comman-ders during our external militaryoperations.

One of those committed membersis Capt L.N. Mushwana from 7 SAIBn, who started to deploy externallywith me in 2002 in Burundi, and laterin 2004 and 2005 in the DRC and thisyear in the Sudan. As you know, to beaway from your loved ones for a longtime is a challenge, but with CaptMushwana as a commander you arewith a father, brother, friend and atrue example of a leader.

This man handles all situations

AFRICA THE "LIGHT CONTINENT"I was one of those South Africans whocould not wait to leave this countryquickly enough, that was until Iattended the All African GoldenJubilee Military Christian Conferencein Kenya. Whoever it was thatdescribed Africa as being the "DarkContinent" clearly did not experienceAfrica as I did, nor could they everhave been exposed to what I wasexposed to.

Members from all over Africa werepresent. I met the most wonderful,genuine, beautiful people. People whohave real, true, living relationships

that come to his attention with the truespirit of a South African soldier. He isalways with his subordinates in hisspare time and engages them with var-ious entertainment activities. Thismakes him identify challenges at anearly stage. He also wins the hearts ofthe local communities because of hisseriousness and commitment to peacemissions.

I was a member of Alpha Companyin 2005 in the DRC. It was commandedby him and his 2IC, Capt E. Masebe.During our two months' rotationaround the GINA District, communitymembers complained strongly whenhis term was over and they demandedthat his stay should be extended. In aweek he was commanded to go backto command Company to be deployedthere.

He never stayed long at home, andwas commanded to deploy with 14SAI Bn and elements of the MilitarySkills Development System (MSDS),which was also a success. All this wasa sign that this man understood the

true meaning of the Code of Conductof the SANDF. I came to the conclu-sion that we could make SouthAfricans proud of us. With his subor-dinates he likes to say: "enjoy" and Ialso like our motto which says: "Ifyou see something, don't talk about it,do something about it".

He manages to win the support oflocal groups by organising soccer andvolleyball games with the local sol-diers. He managed to create soundrelationships with locals employed byprivate companies supplying servicesto the whole mission. One day Iheard our Battalion Commander say-ing we were the best company so farin our mission. I believe him becausehe never says anything wrong. Let allcommanders give their best in con-fronting challenges faced bydeployed soldiers in our peace marchto face African armed conflicts. L Cpl M.D. Nchabeleng, 7 SAI Bn,Phalaborwa (letter was previouslypublished in SA Soldier: (May 2008,page 6)

with God. I have been fortunate to trav-el from South Africa to a number ofcountries, and in all honesty I can saythank God for the wonderful people ofAfrica who I have met and learned tolove in Jesus in such a short time. I washumbled and blessed all at the sametime. With such people living on thisbeautiful continent I will never againthink of Africa as the "Dark Continent".For me it will always be the "LightContinent" because I know the calibreof people living on this continent and Iam proud to be identified with them inJesus. While Jesus is their and my Lord

and Saviour there is always hope forour future as a country and continent.Thank you God for the awesome priv-ilege of meeting your children inAfrica.

I challenge anyone out there thatthinks of leaving South Africa, do not.God is present in our land; find Himand you will find your peace and pur-pose here in "Light Africa". WO1Michele Bezuidenhout, SA MilitaryChristian Fellowship KwaZulu-NatalMilitary Region (letter was previous-ly published in SA Soldier: April2009, page 6)

MILITARY LEADERSHIP AND DISCIPLINEMilitary discipline must be a way oflife for all of us in the SANDF. Itshould not be a choice or be deter-mined by where you find yourself orthe type of work or position or rankthat you hold in the organisation.

As a military leader, discipline isabout you first, whether you haveself-discipline and respect. You need itfor yourself. Remember, all humanbeings are equal before the eyes of theLord. Your subordinates are in noway subhuman.

As a leader, your subordinates lookup to you to be an example. Theyexpect you to be "perfect", and to sayand do the right things at all times.They will emulate the way you talk andwalk, believing that that is the waythings are supposed to be. Remember,they believe in you as a leader. Shouldyou not walk the talk, they will bequick to lose respect for you. They donot forget that easily. Experience hastaught me that respect is earned andnot demanded.

It is important for us as leaders toremember that we can never fool oursubordinates.

South Africans are by nature veryloyal to leadership and the same canbe said about our subordinates. If wellled, they become good soldiers, air-men, sailors and medics. They deservegood leadership.

SCWO L.D. Tshabalala, WarrantOfficer of the Air Force (letter waspreviously published in SA Soldier:May 2010, page 6)

8

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:07


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 9

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08

Ao

m

10

mmaaiinn featureS A S O L D I E R

M A Y 2 0 1 1

By Manelisi Ndaba, Specialist Writerin the Department of DefencePhoto: Sgt Elias Mahuma

s the DOD celebrates ten yearsof its official monthly publica-tion, SA Soldier, it becomesimperative to acknowledgeand appreciate the hard workdone by DOD members intelling military stories of the

past decade in their own words.

This anniversary takes place against thebackdrop of the third Budget VoteDebate that was delivered by theMinister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, to theNational Assembly on 13 April 2011.During her address the Minister sharedthe successes and challenges faced bythe Department and how these werebeing dealt with. The budget vote alsogave the Minister an opportunity toarticulate the way forward and describethe kind of a national defence force weare creating. In this regard a well man-aged and disciplined national defenceforce is what we are constructing.

When she took over the defence portfo-lio, there were enormous long-standingchallenges that seemed impossible toovercome, but in the three years of herleadership hope has been restored inthe hearts of many in the NationalDefence Force.

The first challenge that confronted theMinister was a declining budget in

A

Progress for the Department of Defence

which the Department's domestic obli-gations were defined in theConstitution, against the backdrop ofthe DOD's growing internationalresponsibilities, a deteriorating infras-tructure and, very importantly, thepressing reality that conditions of ser-vice for the National Defence Forceneeded immediate attention.

In her first budget vote speech 2009,Minister Sisulu boldly stated the needfor a separate dispensation for theDOD that would allow it to deal cre-atively with its own needs and thespecificities of its own unique securityrequirements. This was reiterated byPresident Jacob Zuma in September2009 when he said: "The SANDF mayserve the public, but its members arenot public servants. They may receivea salary at the end of every month, butthey are not ordinary workers. The

To further advance this effort in 2010,the DOD submitted to parliament anAmendment Bill to the Defence Act of2002. The bill proposed, among others,a separate dispensation for the DODfrom the public service sector, whichwould give it legal standing and a per-manent service commission. This is inthe process of being established andthe names of nominees have alreadybeen submitted for consideration.

Furthermore, salary increases rangingfrom 2% to 65% for all members of theSANDF on salary levels 2 to 12 wereeffected as from 1 December 2009. Theincrease was part of the DOD's com-mitment to ensure that members of theSANDF are remunerated at levels thatcomplement their responsibility.

In order to address the declining stateof defence infrastructure, the DOD is

Comments on the successes and challenges faced by theDepartment.

Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans.

high standard ofbehaviour weexpect from themnecessitates thatspecial attentionbe paid to theirworking condi-tions, their remu-neration, theirpensions and,generally, theirplace in society".

The startingpoint was theestablishment ofthe InterimNational DefenceForce ServiceCommission tolook into the con-ditions of serviceof the membersof the SANDF.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08

mmaaiinn feature S A S O L D I E R

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 11

finalising the discussions with theDepartment of Public Works on theestablishment of the Defence EstateManagement mechanism which willresult in the DOD progressively exitingfrom the current arrangement onProperty and Facilities Managementby the Department of Public Works.This objective and the rolling out of theDefence Works Capability to maintainand repair defence facilities will beimplemented in this financial year.

The DOD has worked tirelessly overthe last few years to eliminate auditqualifications arising from the AuditorGeneral's report. In the year prior tothe appointment of the current leader-ship in the DOD, the department facedsix audit qualifications. To fulfil thispromise over the past financial yearthe DOD worked very hard to reducequalifications to one, which raised thepossibility of a clean audit in the nextfinancial year.

In the words of a former AmericanPresident, George Washington: "Themorale and strength of the newnation's military forces would bedirectly proportional to how well vet-erans who had served and sacrificedfor the country were treated andappreciated".

In South Africa these forgotten heroes,who served as soldiers of liberationmovements, were left for years to fendfor themselves. Neither provisions norsupport was available for many who,having served, struggled to integratefully back into civilian life and facedmany socio-economic challenges.

The Department of Military Veteranswas proclaimed as a separate andstand-alone department within theministry. This was done in order tocreate a department within govern-ment whose sole responsibility was togovern and cater for the affairs of allformer members of military organisa-tions from before the dawn of democ-racy and those who served in the cur-rent South African National DefenceForce (SANDF) after 1994. Now theDepartment of Military Veterans hasbeen realised and as it was promulgat-ed in 2009. The coming years will thus

be characterised by initiatives to max-imise the functionality of the organs ofState through a reliable and dependableservice delivery focused Department.

Indeed, it can be attested that 2010 wasan extraordinary year in terms ofdefence and security requirements. Thisexperience would not have been possi-ble without the efforts and contributionsof our armed forces.

As host of the Soccer World Cup, andthe first of its kind on the continent, weset out to ensure that the country pro-vided iron-clad security for the durationof the tournament. The preparation, co-ordination and management of securityfell under the auspices of both theNational Defence Force and the SouthAfrican Police Service. The SANDFundertook this challenge and deliveredan extraordinary and exceptional servicethat made it the pride of the nation.

During the tournament our frigates andsubmarines patrolled our territorialwaters and the approaches to the portswhere soccer was being played, whilethe newly acquired Gripen and Hawkaircraft were flying air combat patrolsover all the stadiums while games werein progress. In addition to the pivotalrole these ships, submarines and aircraftplayed in securing those areas wherenone of the other government depart-ments had the required capability, theyformed a magnificent backdrop behindand above our stadiums while the vari-ous matches were being played, a vindi-cation of government's decision toacquire the strategic defence packages.

During the same period the NationalDefence Force was called to assumeresponsibility during the crippling three-week national health workers strike.This required deploying medical person-nel and taking over 74 abandoned hospi-tals in eight provinces. In addition,members of the SANDF provided pro-tection for those members who wereprepared and had volunteered to assistin helping other services. The SANDFgladly undertook these responsibilities,"firm in the knowledge that there isnothing so satisfying to the spirit, sodefining of our character, than givingour all to a difficult task. This is the price

and the promise of citizenship".

The DOD's National Youth Service(NYS) Programme got off to an excitingstart. The programme aims to build theyouth through civic education andtraining in basic workplace skills whilealso encouraging self-respect, respectfor others, integrity and societal respon-sibility. The desired outcome is an indi-vidual who is reintegrated into thecommunity and determined to helpbuild his or her community, thus mak-ing a positive contribution to society atlarge.

On 17 March 2011, 500 students of theNYS Pilot Programme graduated at DeBrug near Bloemfontein and werehanded over to the Department ofRural Development and Land reformto complete the remainder of their NYSprogramme. This strengthens theDOD's resolve to continue with theprogramme, and partnerships areenvisaged with more governmentdepartments in the near future.

In support of the government's foreignpolicy, under the auspices of the UnitedNations (UN) and the African Union(AU), the SANDF continues to supportpeace initiatives on the African conti-nent. Democratic processes have takenplace in states such as Burundi, theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, theSudan and the Central Africa Republic,to mention a few. This has earned theSANDF the accolades of being a credi-ble and professional peace broker.

The work that has been done by theDOD leadership in a short space oftime has been phenomenal. The DODis in a better state than it was threeyears ago, though there is still a longway ahead. This is only the beginningof a new dawn for members of theDOD who have taken a pledge to servethis country and its people with theirlives.

The DOD will not tire of seeking waysand means to improve the lives of itsmembers and help them to take theirrightful places in our society, whichthey continue to serve with dignity andhonour. The road has been mapped outfor the wheels of change.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08

12

ssttoorriieess from 2001S A S O L D I E R

M A Y 2 0 1 1

Group 27 scores success in KwaZulu-NatalBy Dennis Hlubi (published inSA Soldier: June 2001, page 34)Photo: Sgt Shelton Lawrence

roup 27 HQ is situated in thenorthern part of KwaZulu-Natal,with its HQ at Eshowe - the tradi-

tional capital of Zululand. The OfficerCommanding, Col Norman Ludick,and his Second in Command, Lt ColDeon Kruger, have a clear mission: toensure the safety of the people, andto guard territorial sovereignty andinternational borders.

It is easy to notice that this Groupis one of those that has a very bigworkload. On a daily basis the Groupperforms area defence and borderprotection operations. The areas thatare covered include the Mozambicanborder, stretching approximately 100km, and the Swaziland border, whichis approximately 120 km long. It isnoteworthy that Group 27 HQ, withlimited manpower and resources,manages to score success after suc-cess in these widespread, rugged

mountains of KwaZulu-Natal.Of the three million Zulus resident

in the Group 27 area of responsibility,about 60 per cent live in rural areas.These communities engage in subsis-tence farming. In some areas familymembers eke out a living by sellingtheir labour in Gauteng due to a lack ofadequate infrastructure. These peopleare frequently affected by violentcrime, faction fighting, and sometimespolitical strife. The urbanised town-ships also experience a high incidenceof crime. Recently, floods and the out-break of the cholera epidemic posed aserious problem.

On the night of 5 February 2001 ajoint operation was carried out by theBorder Police and the SANDF contin-gent to search for illegal weapons. Fourhomesteads were targeted. The firstwas at Nxamalala Kwa-Khanyile, enroute to Nkandla.

Inside the first homestead, a home-made shotgun and a small quantity ofdagga were found. At the secondhomestead no weapons were found.

At the third one, two pistols and onehome-made shotgun were seized andhome-grown dagga was uprootedfrom a garden. At the last house, oneBaby Browning handgun was found.The operation ended at 02:35, afterwhich the forces returned to theirrespective bases at Richards Bay andEshowe.

Dundee/Glencoe CommandoHQ members prepare todestroy a dagga crop.

G

Medics treated cholera in KwaZulu-NatalBy Mr Ian Crowther, Vice-Chancel-lor, Order of St John South Africa(published in SA Soldier: August2001, page 34)

ome Order of St John representa-tives had been invited to meet LtGen Rinus Jansen van Rensburg,

the Surgeon General, to visitKwaZulu-Natal to observe progressin the fight against cholera.

The delegation flew fromWaterkloof Air Force Base to Durban.There they were introduced to mem-bers of the Department of Health inKwaZulu-Natal and other membersof the SA Military Health Service(SAMHS) and St John. They thenboarded an Oryx helicopter of 15Squadron for Eshowe.

There they were met by Col

Norman Ludick, Officer CommandingGroup 27, and Maj Freddie de Witt ofthe SAMHS. The guard turned out forthe General and performed an excel-lent salute. The delegation attended aninformative briefing on the work beingdone to eradicate the cholera epidemic.The slides, handouts and lectures wereprofessional. It was obvious that agreat deal of time and energy had beenput into the whole serious business offighting the dreaded Vibrio cholerabacterium.

The SAMHS (who provide much-needed trained personnel, ambulancesand other vital equipment) were work-ing in partnership with theDepartment of Health (which alonecould not cope with the numbersinvolved) and the Department ofWater Affairs (responsible for the

urgent preventative measures underthe amazingly wide title of "healtheducation").

No fewer than 98 000 cases havebeen dealt with in the 9 months sincethe epidemic broke in August 2000.At the peak of the disease, 1 000 caseswere treated a day, though by theend of May 2001 the cases were downto 200 a day. At peak there were 70dehydration clinics in operation; nowonly twenty.

Because cholera is an internation-ally notifiable disease, the UnitedNations World Health Organisation ismonitoring the situation in SouthAfrica. They have communicatedtheir amazement and congratulationsthat only 207 deaths have occurred(0.2%), as the international averageis six per cent.

S

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08

13

ssttoorriieess from 2001 S A S O L D I E R

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

Kanimambo (thank you) South AfricaBy Nomonde Vuthela (published in SA Soldier: September2001, page 22)Photos: F Sgt Christo Crous

s visuals of the devastatingfloods in Mozambique filledour TV-screens earlier thisyear, we watched with horrorand felt the pain of theMozambican people. But what

really turned the tragedy around wasthe fact that people were not just sym-pathetic, they took action and didsomething about it.

It was no surprise then that the peopleof Chokwe, a town in Mozambiquethat was worst hit by the floods, want-ed to say Kanimambo/thank you to allthose who came to their rescue in theirtime of need. The Department of Def-ence subsequently received an invita-tion from the Mozambican Govern-ment, which invited the SANDF partic-ipants in the flood rescue mission tothe Kanimambo function hosted by thecommunity of Chokwe on 21 July. Thiswas a great opportunity indeed to cele-brate our love for humanity and theability of Africans to help one another.

In an interview with SA Soldier, Col J.van Zyl from Chief Joint Operations,who attended the function, said that itwas a very humbling experience. Awooden sculpture and a certificatewere awarded to the SANDF, non-gov-ernmental organisations and the manyother organisations and individualsthat helped to save lives.

Ms Graça Machel, wife of formerPresident Nelson Mandela, who hosted

the event, praisedAfricans in her speech forA

What really turned the tragedy around was the fact that people were not just sympathetic,they took action.

The Chokwe community came to say thank you to the SANDF.

setting precedents andreaching out to one anoth-er without waiting for theoutside world to intervenefirst. She said: "We appre-ciate very much the wayin which you assumedyour responsibility." Theguest list also included MsJesse Duarte, SouthAfrica's HighCommissioner toMozambique.

Kanimambo is "thank you"in Shangaan and this is,quite simply, what theoccasion was about. Thepeople of Chokwe werethankful for the livessaved and for the great interest shown.

Col J. van Zyl from Chief Joint Operationsreceives a token of appreciation from MsGraça Machel, wife of former PresidentNelson Mandela, while Ms Jesse Duarte,South Africa's High Commissioner toMozambique looks on.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08

14


M A Y 2 0 1 1

The finalisation of Operation MOUFLONCompiled by Nelda Pienaar (published in SA Soldier:July 2001, page 12)Photo: Sgt Shelton Lawrence

n 26 May 2001 a press conferencewas held at Regional Joint TaskForce South in Port Elizabeth on

the finalisation of Operation MOU-FLON: the destruction of all surplus,redundant, obsolete and confiscatedsmall arms and spare parts.

Lt Gen Temba Matanzima, Chiefof Joint Support, delivered the follow-ing speech at the press conference:

"The DOD has, since 28 June 2000,destroyed more than 262 000 smallarms of various calibres currentlystored in the inventory of theSANDF.

"This programme, to destroy near-ly 263 000 redundant, obsolete, unser-viceable and confiscated small armsand spare parts, is in line with inter-national guidelines to curb the prolif-eration of small arms, as specificallymentioned in the United NationsSecretary General's Report on SmallArms, compiled by a panel of inter-national experts for the GeneralAssembly of the United Nations.

"The Secretary General's report

recommended that countries shouldexercise restraint with respect to thetransfer of surplus small arms manu-factured solely for possession and useby military and police forces.

"The National Conventional ArmsControl Committee thus took the deci-sion to effect disposal by means of thedestruction of State-held surplus,redundant, obsolete, unserviceable andconfiscated semi-automatic and auto-matic weapons of the calibre of 12,7mm and smaller. This decision was rat-ified by Cabinet and is in accordancewith Government policy on non-prolif-eration and arms control.

"In keeping with the decision of theNational Arms Control Committee, theDOD took a decision in 1998 to destroysuch weapons. This exercise becameknown as Operation MOUFLON.

"Insufficient funds for the destruc-tion of these weapons has been one ofthe main reasons for the delay in thephysical destruction of these weapons.

"On 12 February 2000 theNorwegian Government signed anagreement with the DOD to donate anamount of 520 000 Norwegian Krone(approximately R403 000) to the fund-ing of the project.

"Sufficient funds were collected by

31 May 2000, and contracts weresigned with two companies inBenoni and Port Elizabeth, who wereable to comply with laid-down speci-fications and criteria to destroy theweapons and render them scrap."

Lt Gen Temba Matanzima,Chief of Joint Support, standingin front of some of theweapons before they weredestroyed.

O

Masibambisane Compiled by Nomonde Vuthela(published in SA Soldier:September 2001, page 12) Graphic: courtesy VisualCommunication

IV and AIDS is a disease threaten-ing not only the peace and securi-ty of our nation, but that of

the continent as a whole.Seen against this back-ground, theDepartment ofDefence's HIVbeyond awarenesscampaign -"Masibambisane" - waslaunched in Pretoria on1 August 2001. The cam-paign was motivated by the

recognition that the military commu-nity is unique and that unformedmembers of the SANDF find them-selves within a high-risk environmentwith a specific vulnerability and sus-ceptibility profile.

Within the military communityMasibambisane aims at informing

members and employees of theDOD of the management of

HIV and AIDS, includingcurrent policy and strate-gy. The campaign isspecifically aimed atreaching a level ofawareness that goes

beyond mere knowledgeof the disease to bring

about an actual change inbehaviour.

H

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08

15


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

Airborne Africa 2001By Col H. Schobesberger, SSOCom SA Army (published in SA Soldier: June 2001, page 28)

Parachute Battalion of the SAArmy celebrated its 40th anniver-sary on 1 April 2001. The culmina-

tion of this event was an internationalairborne combat-readiness competi-tion - Airborne Africa - held from 22March to 3 April 2001. Preparationfor it was done in Bloemfontein,while the actual competition tookplace at the Madimbo Training Areain the Northern Province.

Military parachutist teams fromBelgium, Botswana, France, Ghana,Great Britain, Jordan, theNetherlands, South Africa, Tanzaniaand the United States of America

1

Fltr: WO1 Isaac Salivu (MasterSergeant Major Ghana Army), WO1Sebenzile Teyisi (Sergeant Major GSBBloemfontein) and Capt AwuahMantey (Ghana Army).

Meet our first black female pilotBy Capt Fundile Siyongwana (pub-lished in SA Soldier:August 2001,page 27) Photo: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

n the afternoon of 2 July 2001 SASoldier held an exclusive inter-

view with the first black female pilot,2Lt Annabel Macauley (21) atWaterkloof Officers' Mess in Pretoria.2Lt Macauley was born in SierraLeone.

She started with her primaryschooling in Sierra Leone and thenmoved to Nigeria, where she stayedfor seven years, completing her pri-mary education. She had to leaveNigeria and headed to Botswana fora very short stay. After she leftBotswana she came to South Africawhere she started Standard five atMmabatho High School, and here shestayed until she completed hermatric.

2Lt Macauley worked very hardat school and was in love with aero-planes from a very young age. Shedid not know what she wanted to be.She said that at one point she studiedaccounting, but this bored her. Then

O

The first South African black femalepilot, 2Lt Annabel Macauley, in apiece of machinery that she has fallenin love with.

took part in this event - the first of its kindto be held on South African soil.

YouthFoundationTrainingProgrammeBy Capt FundileSiyongwana (published inSA Soldier: September2001, page 18)

he Department ofDefence launched theDOD Youth Foundation

Training Programme at theDenel Training Academy inKempton Park on 20 July2001.

The programme under-scores the Government'scommitment to uplifting thelives of the youth by creatingand providing work oppor-tunities, and thus activelycontributing to social deliv-ery and advancing the goalsof the African Renaissance.

It is a small beginning,with the retraining of some175 formerly disadvantagedstudents, but there is virtual-ly an ironclad guarantee thatthis project will grow to beone of the main pillars pro-viding South Africa with anew generation of decisionmakers and future leaders.

The programme will go along way towards reversingthis situation, and willensure the continued mainte-nance of professionalismwithin the SANDF.

It was also recognised atthe outset that the enterprisewas not to be conducted bythe DOD alone. It was there-fore decided to outsource theprogramme by entering intoa public-private partnership.After due tender process, theDenel Consortium wasselected as the serviceprovider. The whole projectis co-managed by the JointTraining Formation onbehalf of the DOD and DenelPersonnel Solutions.

T

she realised that she wanted to be a pilot. Shesaid: "Luckily the SA Air Force came to myschool. I applied and went for psychometrictests. That is how I got the job in 1996."

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08

16


M A Y 2 0 1 1

Sign Language CourseBy Capt Fundile Siyongwana (published in SA Soldier:September 2001, page 20)

he Equal Opportunities ChiefDirector, in conjunction with theUniversity of the Witswatersrand,

made history recently by presenting asign language course - a first for theDepartment of Defence (DOD).

The six-week sign languagecourse, presented in July 2001 andattended by some eleven studentsfrom within the DOD, is unique inthe sense that certain deaf signs hadto be developed especially to complywith defence terms and concepts, egdeaf signs for military insignia.

T

Flying into history

Capt Musa Mbhokota (26) of 2 Squadron made history on 18 July2001 by becoming the first South African black pilot to fly solo in asupersonic Cheetah fighter jet. (Photo: Sgt Albi le Roux; publishedin SA Soldier: September 2001, page 33)

The course forms part of theDirectorate's commitment to promot-ing and protecting the rights of peo-ple with disabilities. According toMr M.J. Swart, SO1 Disability, thecourse is divided into two learningphases, namely an experiential andan actualisation phase.

The University ofWitswatersrand trains and employsunemployed deaf people to teach thestudents sign language. Mr Swartsaid that the DOD employed some430 people with disabilities. Theskills gained will therefore assist theDOD to understand the needs ofpeople with disabilities within theDepartment.

Remember thefallen of war

By Col A.M. Eagar (Ret),Chairperson Pretoria MemorialService (published in SA Soldier:December 2001, page 31)

he annual remembrance service tocommemorate all the soldiers whodied and were disabled in the ser-

T vice of their country was held at theWar Memorial at the UnionBuildings in Pretoria on Sunday, 11

November, and in various other citiesin our country and all over the world.

At this Memorial Service variouscommunities and military veterans'associations also remembered thefamilies of those who never returnedand, of course, those men andwomen who were disabled duringtheir service.

This day in November is one ofthe major memorial services through-out the world. The remembrance ser-vice is held annually on the Sundaynearest to 11 November (ArmisticeDay) and this is then known asRemembrance Sunday. This year thedate happened to fall on a Sunday.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08

Our deployed ambassadors

By Lt Col Dup Martens (publishedin SA Soldier: April 2002, page 12)Photo: WO1 J.J. Jacobs

he lazy hum of flies in thesweltering heat adds to the pic-ture of dejection and squalor inthe city. Half-built dilapidatedbuildings, with their grime and

cracks belie the colonial dreams of aonce thriving and vigorous society.

These are the first (and lasting) imagesof Kinshasa - the present headquartersof the SA National Defence Force'sUnited Nations peacekeeping contin-gent in the Democratic Republic of theCongo (DRC).

WO1 J.J. Jacobs, Warrant Officer of the

T

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 17


SANDF, recently paid a visit to ourtroops in the DRC and Burundi. SASoldier wanted to know from himwhat the purpose of his visit was andhow our troops had been acclima-tised to the foreign surroundings.

"Well, the whole visit was the culmi-nation of an action which startedabout seven months ago," he said. "Imade a suggestion to the PlenaryDefence Staff Council (PDSC) thatwe should do something to show ourappreciation for the sterling workour troops were doing there. Youknow, in our military history weonce had a 'dankie sê tannie', whoregularly organised parcels to be sentto our troops on the border.Remembering those days, I know

how well such parcels are received.

"I asked the Military Councilwhether we could not do likewise,and that I and a few officers wouldthen hand over these parcels to ourtroops in the DRC and Burundi.They said 'yes', and I immediatelystarted a fund-raising campaign. Ourtarget was R30 000. With the good-will of various sponsors I managedto collect about R27 000. The SAForces Institute (SAFI) sponsored theshortfall and they also made up thepackages containing biltong, sweets,dried fruit and chocolates. Theseparcels we handed over to Gen S.Nyanda, Chief of the Defence Force.

"Three senior staff members, namelyLt Gen R. van Rensburg, the SurgeonGeneral of the SANDF, Maj Gen L.Pitso, Chief Director Counter-intelli-gence, Maj Gen (Rev) F.S. Gqiba,Chaplain General, and myself, withour wives and Ms L. Momberg, rep-resenting the Citizen newspaper, lefton 27 December 2001 to hand overthe parcels. We made a stopover inBurundi to offload some personneland left a short while later forKinshasa in the DRC."

"Well, the whole visitwas the culmination of an action whichstarted about sevenmonths ago," WO1 J.J. Jacobs said.

The parcels were received with great delight.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08

18


M A Y 2 0 1 1

By Lt Col J. Zietsman, SANDFMedia Spokesperson at the WSSD(published in SA Soldier: October2002, page 12) Photo: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

rom 26 August to 4 September2002 South Africa played hostto more than 40 000 delegatesfrom around the world, all ofthem participants in theWorld Summit on Sustainable

Development (WSSD). More than 105Heads of State took part in the discus-sions, which in years to come couldimprove the lives of millions of peoplearound the globe.

With the eyes of the world focused onJohannesburg for the duration of thisevent, it meant that nothing could beleft to chance. There was no room forerror, especially as far as the safety ofthe thousands of delegates was con-cerned. That there were no seriousincidents involving safety aspects dur-ing the Summit says a lot for the dedi-cation and commitment of all thesecurity forces involved.

The SANDF played an integral part inthe whole process, right from the start.All in all the SANDF deployed 1 500people in various roles to ensure thesmooth running of the World Summit.From all over South Africa liaison offi-cers were appointed to the variousdelegations to ensure that the chiefdelegates were well looked after. This

F

Ensuring the smooth runningof the World Summit

meant that they had to be availableday and night for the duration of theSummit.

Each and every accredited visitor tothe Sandton Convention Centre wasescorted on a daily basis by motor-bike. The men from 12 SA InfantryBattalion did a splendid job, eachmotorbike rider travelling up to 350km a day. Apart from having toknow the various routes by heart,they also had to contend with thenotorious peak hour traffic inGauteng. That all the delegationsarrived safely and on time says a lotfor the dedication of these soldiers.

Members of 21 Battalion and 121Battalion were deployed for the dura-tion of the Summit on the outerperimeters of Gauteng. Their main

and Sandton areas. Their presence,together with that of the SAPS, meantthat no incidents of violence occurredat all.

The SA Air Force and medical person-nel played just as vital a role. TwoOryx helicopters assisted with thetrooping of SANDF and SAPS mem-bers to set up roadblocks in theGauteng area, and were also on stand-by to assist with any emergency tasks.A fixed-wing aircraft was also avail-able for daily reconnaissance tasks.SANDF medical personnel weredeployed at all the headquarters'hotels to look after the well-being ofthe foreign delegates. The service thatthey rendered was excellent. 7Medical Battalion was deployed todeal with any potential biological orchemical threat.

The SANDF played anintegral part in thewhole process, rightfrom the start.

A soldier on his way to guard the SandtonConvention Centre area during the World Summiton Sustainable Development.

task was to assistthe SA PoliceService (SAPS)with cordon andsearch opera-tions, as well asroadblocks. Theywere alsoutilised for theprotection ofbridges on thehighways. Againthey did a splen-did job. Themembers from2 SA InfantryBattalion weredeployed,among otherduties, duringone of thebiggest marchesin recent years inthe Alexandra

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:08


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 19

Competing in the first Africa Military GamesBy Lt Col Louis Kirstein, SO1Media Liaison DOD (published inSA Soldier: April 2002, page 38)

hey came from all over Africa,2 000 soldiers from 26 countries,to fight it out on the sports field.

But it was no ordinary sports event; itwas the first-ever Africa MilitaryGames in Nairobi, Kenya, and was

Col Hamad Kalkaba Malboum,President of the Organisation ofMilitary Sports in Africa, with thetorch for the Military Games.

T

Women crossed another bridgeBy Lt Colleen Ferreira (published in SA Soldier: November 2002, page 22)

SA Infantry Battalion, SpecialistCentre of Excellence, IndiaCompany, presented the Visual

Tracking Course in 2002. The durationof the course was seven weeks, and itwas presented at the MadimboTraining Area along the LimpopoRiver.

The course commenced on 9 April2002 and continued until 24 May 2002.What made this course different wasthat it was the first time that womenwere accepted as students on thecourse. After the selection processthree women, Lt Colleen Ferreira, Rfn

Roxanne Slabber and Rfn LikaHartzenberg, were identified and nom-inated for the course. They were placedamong the men so that no section con-sisted of more than one woman.

The pre-course preparation for theupcoming visual tracking course con-sisted of different routes of approxi-mately 8 km. These were within thecut-off times, and the participants hadto run in complete battle dress andovercome certain problems, for exam-ple serious blisters, stress factors andphysical and mental fatigue.

A real morale booster for thewomen was that Rfn Hartzenbergcame first overall on the course.Another bridge had been crossed forwomen in the SANDF.

12

The SANDF Men’s Hockey Team after winning the silver medal.

held over the period 15 to 26 April2002. The goal of the Africa MilitaryGames was to provide accrediteddefence forces from all the overAfrican continent an opportunity to

compete with each other on thesports field in order to reinforcefriendship ties and to ensure thedream of peace and stability in thecontinent.

Lt Colleen Ferreira at her self-made shelter.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:09

M A Y 2 0 1 120


By Nomonde Vuthela (an extract ofwhat was published in SA Soldier:July 2003, page 14)Photo: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

nited we stand, divided wefall! Viva Africa! The 40thanniversary of theOrganisation of African Unity(OAU), now known as theAfrican Union (AU), at the

Johannesburg Stadium on 25 May 2003was a celebration of the rebirth andrenewal of the African continent.

The AU represents an equal partner-ship of the 53 African States orGovernments that make up the organi-sation. In order for Africans to face thefuture with renewed vigour in a worldthat is increasingly changing techno-logically and otherwise, PresidentThabo Mbeki announced: "We havetransformed the Organisation ofAfrican Unity into the African Union".

Through the AU the President hassworn that the slaughter of oneAfrican by another will be stopped."We will do our best to end this sense-less killing," said President Mbeki. Hecontinued: "Tutsi and Hutu areAfrican, Hausa and Yoruba areAfrican."

As Chairperson of the AU, PresidentMbeki also stated that the organisation

U

Celebrating 40 years of solidarity

would continue to assist war plaguedcountries, such as the Central AfricanRepublic and the Côte d' Ivoire toreturn to democracy. The Presidentalso touched on the Burundi PeaceAgreement and the Sudan, andapplauded the ongoing talks betweenthe Sudanese Government and theSudanese People's LiberationMovement.

At President Mbeki's request amoment's silence was observed inremembrance of the two thousandpeople killed in the recent earthquakein Algeria. The Commander-in-Chiefof theSANDF then made mention of the factthat the SANDF would deploy troopsin Algeria in an endeavour to assist.The SANDF is second to none and

does us so proud! Not only does theNational Defence Force protect ourborders and beyond, but it has alsosuccessfully adapted to the versatilerole of being a service provider and ashow-stopper.

Members of the SANDF brought lifeto the stadium long before the publicpoured in. In the biting cold, so typi-cal of a "Jo'burg" winter morning,members took to song to fend off thechill. Carrying all 53 flags of the AUmember countries the NationalCeremonial Guard paraded indetailed precision around the field tothe rhythm of the bands of the SAArmy, the SA Air Force, the SA Navyand the SA Military Health Service,which maddened the crowd withexcitement.

It was a celebration ofthe rebirth and renewalof the African continent.

Members of the SANDF making us proud.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:09

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 21


Life in a Congo villageBy Capt Mohau Modise (an extractof what was published in SASoldier: October 2003, page 15)

n the arrival of the commandgroup on 22 April 2003 Kinduwas a ghost town with a handful

of people. This was because many ofits inhabitants were living in thebushes nearby in fear of the rebelgroup, known as the Rally forCongolese Democracy (RCD) -GOMA. The RCD rebels are mostlychildren ranging in age from tenupwards, who have been supportedby the Rwandan Army during thefour years of war in an attempt tooverthrow former President LaurentKabila.

After Kabila's assassination inJanuary 2001 his son Joseph took overand to date he is trying hard to push

for peace and an interim governmenthas been sworn in.

The town is war-torn and itsbuildings are dilapidated.Unemployment is the order of theday due to a lack of good gover-nance. Although mineral resourcesare abundant, the people see this as acurse rather than a blessing, becausethey believe that these resources, eggold and diamonds, lead to livesbeing lost, and suffering and torturebeing inflicted by the rebel groups, asthese have a vested interest in theseminerals.

It is amazing that in the midst ofhunger and poverty the Congoleseare still very keen to utilise theirremaining resources. They are veryintelligent despite being disadvan-taged by having to attend school inwar conditions.

Capt Mohau Modise, SO2 InfoOPS (MONUC III), at one of theschools during Project QUIPS.

O

South Africa plays a role in the peace processBy Lt Col Annelize Rademeyer, SO1Public Liaison AMIB (an extract ofwhat was published in SA Soldier:October 2003, page 14)

ne could easily wonder whatSouth Africa's forces have to doin Burundi, close to the equator,

far away from the southern tip ofAfrica. Our former President, MrNelson Mandela, played a leading rolein negotiations to establish fertileground for the peace process in thisrelatively small country in the GreatLakes region. Although Mr Mandelais not part of the process anymore,South Africa still plays a role in it.

The SANDF started OperationFIBRE in Burundi in November 2000with the main objective of safeguard-ing politicians returning to the coun-try. Following the Arusha Peace andReconciliation Agreement in August2000, the deployment of the SouthAfrican Protection and SupportDetachment (SAPSD), and furtherregional initiatives, the signing of twoceasefire agreements on 7 October and2 December 2002 took place. TheAfrican Mission was established in

Burundi.The mission is to oversee the imple-

mentation and verification of the cease-fire agreements, and to assist in disar-mament, demobilisation and reintegra-tion (DDR) programmes.

On 3 February 2003 South Africawas appointed by the African Union(AU) as Lead Nation to plan andimplement the African Union Missionin Burundi (AUMIB). Other countriescontributing soldiers are Mozambiqueand Ethiopia. Elements from thesecountries with the main force arealready deployed at the AMIB HQ.

The Mission will be conducted infive phases, namely pre-deployment(planning and preparations), establish-ing the mission (HQ deployed andtransition of SAPSD), (phased) deploy-ment of main force elements andpreparation of cantonment areas, disar-mament, demobilisation and reintegra-tion (DDR) and subsequent operationsthat include the possibility of beingrelieved by a UN mission.

Negotiations are still taking placebetween the various role-players onhow exactly the DDR process shouldbe conducted. Currently there is one

cantonment area, which is almost 30km north-east of Bujumbura (the cap-ital of Burundi) in the province ofBubanza. Other regions for the estab-lishment of cantonment areas areunder investigation.

Current key posts are the AMIBForce Commander (Maj Gen S.Z.Binda - RSA), the AMIB DeputyForce Commander (Brig Gen GebratAyelle - Ethiopia), the AMIB Chief ofStaff (W. Very - RSA) and the RSANational Contingent Commander(Col N.J.K. Mabilu).

O

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:09

M A Y 2 0 1 122


Commandant appointed as Professor ExtraordinaryBy Maj Arina Hanekom,Communication Officer MilitaryAcademy (an extract of what waspublished in SA Soldier: July 2003,page 17)

he University of StellenboschBusiness School has appointedthe Commandant of the Military

Academy, Brig Gen L.S. Mollo, asProfessor Extraordinary for the peri-od 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2006. The

University of Stellenbosch createdthis category of appointments to giverecognition to individuals for theirproven specialised expertise, and/ortheir eminence in their professionand field of study, and to involvethem in the academic programmes ofthe relevant department or school.This appointment will also strength-en the relationship between theMilitary Academy and the Universityof Stellenbosch Business School.Brig Gen L.S. Mollo.

T

Learners displaying the spirit of SiyandizaBy PO Dennis Ndaba (an extract ofwhat was published in SA Soldier:October 2003, page 35) Photo: F Sgt Tania Kettles

he Schools Aerospace Challengewas held in the United Kingdomover the period 14 to 28 August

2003. This was a joint venture by theCranfield University (a world-renowned aerospace teaching facili-ty), the Royal Air Force and aviationindustry partners in the UK. It is anannual event in the UK that aims toattract top achievers to further educa-tion and ultimately a career inaerospace.

This was the third year that vari-ous schools and Air Training Corpssquadrons in the UK competed forthe coveted top prize of £5000.00. Totop it all the SA Air Force via the

Air Adviser in London was invit-ed to enter a team consisting of fivemembers. The SA team was the firstoutside the UK ever to participate inthis event, which turned it into aninternational event, and the fully rep-resentative team was selected fromthe Aviation Academy at theWaterkloof High School. TheAviation Academy paid the expensesof the team, which did not participatedirectly in the competition this year

SA Air Force, not to mention theimpact on the youth of South Africa.

The visit was also used to kick-start a process of broad-based SouthAfrican participation in future, with aview to creating awareness among theyouth and to encourage the pursuit ofa career in aeronautical engineering inthe SA Air Force. It will also addmuch value to the plan to ensure thatthere are enough engineers in the SAAir Force in the future.

Soaring like eagles, the learners displaying the spirit of Siyandiza.Standing, fltr: Waldemar Truter, Tshepo van Roos, Kabelo Makuwaand Nelmari Smit (Leader). Flying: Cynthia Ramoleta.

T

as their entry was not processed intime. This meant that the SA teamwas automatically short-listed with-out prior evaluation of their competi-tion paper.

This competitive mechanism wasused to stimulate the youth in thefield of aerospace sciences in order tosecure our own aeronautical/aviationfuture. The venture holds mutual ben-efits for our country, defence indus-tries, the education fraternity and the

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:09

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 23


First black Reserve Force military judge sworn inBy Capt (SAN) E. van der Walt (Ret)(an extract of what was publishedin SA Soldier: July 2003, page 21)Photo: Sgt David Nomtshongwana

ol Victor Sibeko (50), an advocatefrom Brakpan on the East Rand,was one of the first legal practi-

tioners to apply for appointment as aReserve Force officer in the SANDF.Because of his seniority he was giventhe rank of Colonel.

After his appointment Col Sibekohad to undergo an induction pro-gramme on military culture. This hadto be done in his spare time. He firstcompleted a military orientationcourse after which he was schooled inmilitary legal subjects, such as mili-tary law, the law of armed conflict,operational law, law of evidence andcriminal law. He passed his examina-tions with flying colours.

Before he could be sworn in asjudge he had to sit under instructionto familiarise himself with the

military justice system.On 6 May 2003 Col Sibeko was

sworn in as military judge by Brig GenAnnemarie Myburgh, DirectorMilitary Judges, in one of the court-rooms in Thaba Tshwane. He was tobegin his duties with immediate effectand he said he was ready and willingto play his role in the SANDF.

Col Sibeko will preside as a seniormilitary judge when and whererequired, especially in cases involvingsenior SANDF members from the rankof major upwards, but he would alsobe able to handle disciplinary casesinvolving junior members.

The scope of Col Sibeko's dutieswill include having to preside overcases involving SANDF members inother countries, such as Burundi andthe Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) whenever such a need arises.

In 1979 Col Sibeko obtained his BALaw degree and in 1981 his LLBdegree at the National University ofLesotho. Thereafter he was admitted

as advocate in Lesotho in 1981.During his career as a legal practi-

tioner he worked, inter alia, as a nego-tiator for Mobil and was an adjudica-tor for the Gauteng Housing TransferBureau where he later served on theappeal panel. In 1993 he opened hisown legal consultancy.

C

The French and our soldiers learn from each otherBy Capt (SAN) Stan Slogrove, SSO Maritime Capabilities at JointOperations Division (an extract ofwhat was published in SA Soldier:July 2003, page 18)Photo: PO Gustav Oosthysen

he early Saturday morning tran-quility of Naval Island at RichardsBay was shattered by the powerful

roar of outboard engines, as two inflat-able boats carrying French Marinesraced up onto the beach. The soldiersquickly dispersed as they rapidlysecured the beachhead and then therest of the island. Soon the grey bulk ofthe French Batral-type landing ship,FNS La Grandiére, bore down on thebeach, her bow doors opening like themandibles of some giant mantis.

Personnel, vehicles and cargo weredischarged onto the beach, and sobegan the Field Training Exercisephase of Exercise RAINBOW TREK.

Planning staffs of the SANDF andFASZOI (French Forces in the IndianOcean Zone) under the command ofthe Task Force Commander, Col Johan

Blaauw, and his French counterpart,Capitaine de Vaisseau (Navy Captain)Francois Cloup-Mandavialle, had metearlier in the week, as March turned intoApril, at the underground military facili-ty on Durban's Bluff, to conduct aCommand Post Exercise (CPX).

The aim of the theoretical phase ofthis Peace Support exercise was to vali-date and harmonise the doctrines and

tactics that would be used in the practi-cal phase. Language difficulties wereovercome and the two force compo-nents sized each other up as they ranthrough the various activities of thescenario.

On completion of the CPX, theplanning staffs moved up the coast toRichards Bay and occupied the tentedcamp that had been set up in advance.

T

Col Victor Sibeko.

Personnel, vehicles and cargo were dischargedonto the beach after FNS La Grandiére bore downon the beach.

The cargo fromFNS LaGrandiére soonbecame anevacuationcontrol centremanned byFrench andSouth Africanmedical andadministrativepersonnel. Forthe first time,members of theSouth AfricanRed CrossSociety werealso involved.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:09

24


M A Y 2 0 1 1

Article and photos by Sgt DavidNomtshongwana (an extract of whatwas published in SA Soldier: May2004, page 14)

s the aircrew were busy con-centrating on a safe landing inBujumbura, you could seethrough the window that thestage had been set to welcomethe Chief of the SANDF, Gen

Siphiwe Nyanda.

The Chief's entourage included theChief of Joint Operations, Lt GenGodfrey Ngwenya, and other seniorleaders in the DOD. The Chief's visitcoincided with the announcement thatthe United Nations had agreed to leadthe mission in Burundi. One of the tan-gible achievements of the DOD duringthe ten years' celebration of freedomwas the deployment of soldiersabroad.

The aim of the Chief's visit over theperiod 23 to 26 March 2004 was to bebriefed about the situation in Burundi,the progress of the African Mission inBurundi (AMIB), to meet with the rele-vant representatives, to acquaint him-self with the political situation, andmost importantly to hear from the sol-diers on the ground.

The South African Ambassador in

A

Our ambassadors abroadserving unselfishly

The United Nations hadagreed to lead the mission in Burundi.

United Nations soldiers (includ-ing our soldiers) welcomingGen Siphiwe Nyanda, the Chiefof the SANDF, at the Kindu air-port in the Democratic Republicof the Congo.

ensure the safety of the BurundianVIPs.

Looking at our South African soldierswho are deployed outside our coun-try tells a story of its own - commit-ment, discipline and going the extramile to perform their duties - it istruly amazing! (It does not mean thatthey are lazy when they are at home.)The situation in Burundi taught oursoldiers something, namely that theBurundian people use every availableresource in order to survive.

Burundi, Mr Welile Nhlapo, told thedelegation about Burundian politicalprogress and that the Burundian peo-ple appreciated the extra mile takenby the soldiers of the AMIB. GenNyanda and his delegation visited theChief of Staff of the Burundi ArmedForces, Maj Gen GermainNiyoyankana, who praised the AMIB.

Maj Gen Sipho Binda, the ForceCommander of the AMIB, and othersenior officers briefed Gen Nyanda onthe latest progress made and men-tioned that the soldiers had settled invery well regardless of the circum-stances they found themselves in.Their role is to facilitate the imple-mentation of the ceasefire agreementsin Burundi. No one can forget the VIPprotectors working day and night to

Our soldiers patrol the streets inGoma in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:09

25


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

Article and photo by Sgt DavidNomtshongwana (an extract of whatwas published in SA Soldier:January 2004, page 22)

Parliamentarians visited our soldiers abroad

ambassador not to forget that womenand children were part and parcel of thewhole procedure to be implemented.

The ambassador emphasised that it wasin their best interests not to leave othersbehind or to fail to acknowledge theircontribution. The inclusion of womenand children who had participated inthe struggle for a transitional govern-ment was very important because itwas their right to be involved in theprocess. Although political, it is a majorchallenge to realise those requirements,but there is still hope because ofprogress on some agreements.

The delegation also visited the offices ofthe United Nations (UN) in Burundiwhere they met Mr Ayité J-C KPAKPO,

the Senior UN Adviser for theBurundi Peace ProcessImplementation MonitoringCommittee. The parliamentarianswanted to know when the UN wasgoing to be involved in taking over thedeployment of the soldiers in Burundi.

Even though the members of thePortfolio Committee on Defence wereengaged in other commitments inBurundi, their mission was to visit thesoldiers and to see if they had beenproperly resourced and were perform-ing their duties as expected. The visitby the members of the PortfolioCommittee on Defence also helpsParliament to decide what the require-ment or the challenges are that facethe AMIB.

The visit is a clear indication of their support andaugurs well for the morale of the soldiers.

Ms Thandi Modise, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee onDefence and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (middle),and the female soldiers deployed in Burundi stationed at theDemobilisation Centre Area 1 with Col Liz van der Post, ActingPSO to V Adm Martyn Trainor, and Maj Madeleine Harmse, theLiaison Officer, at the back.

he recent visit by the PortfolioCommittee on Defence and theJoint Standing Committee onDefence to the soldiersdeployed in the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo (DRC)and Burundi over the period 28

to 30 October 2003 is a clear indicationof support and augurs well for themorale of the soldiers.

The parliamentarians were led by MsThandi Modise, Chairperson of bothcommittees, which consisted of mem-bers from different political parties,while V Adm Martyn Trainor,Chief of Corporate Staff, led the SANDFdelegation. Before their departure fromWaterkloof Air Force Base Maj GenMbuyiselo Mgwebi, the General OfficerCommanding Joint Operational HQ atChief Joint Operational Division,

T

briefed the delegation and the mem-bers of the media on the situation inthe DRC and Burundi. The first stop ofthe visit was Kindu, and after a brief-ing the group left for Bujumbura.

In Bujumbura they were welcomed byMaj Gen Sipho Binda, theForce Commander of the AfricanMission in Burundi (AMIB), and hiscontingent. Also present wasAmbassador Mamadou Bah, the spe-cial representative of the AfricanUnion, who was the Chairperson andthe Head of Mission of AMIB.

He informed the delegation aboutprogress in Burundi, especially interms of disarmament, demobilisationand repatriation. Ms Modise urged the

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:09

26


M A Y 2 0 1 1

Article and photo courtesy womenwho were deployed in Burundi (anextract of what was published in SA Soldier: October 2004, page 24)

believe one can only reflect on asituation once you are not "in it"any longer. After deployment tothe African Mission in Burundi(AMIB) for a six-month period -from August 2003 to February

2004 - and now back for four months,it is perhaps a good time for reflection.

Did all the other women and myselfmake a difference in serving the PeaceMission in Burundi? Nowadays whenI watch the news and I hear the wordBurundi, I tend to give my full atten-tion. Every time the peace processseems to stumble, my heart aches.Every time it goes ahead full steam Ifeel like dancing.

Some twenty women spent six monthsat the Demobilisation Centre, some 30km north-east of the capital city ofBujumbura, and only came to "town"and the "Palace Base" once everymonth for four or five days at a time.They certainly earned the respect oftheir male counterparts. I do believetheir input to safeguarding some 200ex-combatants did make a differenceto the Mission.

Within the VIP Protectors and theStatic Guards there were almost thirtywomen. Being a VIP Protector has itsown kind of challenges, but thewomen proved that they could per-form this specialised job without hav-

I

Women soldiers back fromdeployment in Burundi

ing to stand back for any man. I dobelieve that each one of them made adifference in serving the Mission.

At the Airport Base some eight womenserved the Mission inter alia as logisti-cians and some even in the ArtilleryBattery. The Medical and Air Forcepersonnel rotated more frequently thanthe Army personnel, but without theirmedical care Burundi would not havebeen the same. As any soldier knows,good support contributes enormouslyto morale.

At AMIB HQ some twenty womenheld posts varying from photographer,"manning SAFI", a civilian lady (ABSA'Blief Tannie) in the pay office, to CMI

all the men who voluntarily deploy.One would be dishonest if one saidthat the money involved did notcount. There are, however, other rea-sons as well. Reasons such as "wan-derlust" and the gaining of experiencein one's specific area of specialisationwithin the peacekeeping environment- experience that nobody can takeaway from you.

If I now look at photos and try toshare the wonderful experience withfriends and family, I realise to my dis-may that they cannot be as excited as Iam. Unfortunately, only those whohave shared in the hardships, but alsothe highlights, can really share in theexcitement.

Every time the peace process seems to stumble, my heart aches. Every time it goes ahead full steam I feel like dancing.

Capt Harriët Joseph and an Ethiopian soldier.

services, etc - Ibelieve eachand everyoneof them made adifference inthe supporttasks they per-formed.

What motivatesa woman tovolunteer todeploy for aperiod of sixmonths? Thesame questioncan be asked of

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:09

27


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

By CPO Dennis Ndaba (published inSA Soldier: July 2005, page 10)Photo: F Sgt Amelda Strydom

en Siphiwe Nyanda bowedout as the Chief of theSANDF in a parade befittinga true leader and one of thecountry's finest officers, whilethe Chief of the SANDF gavethe baton to Gen Godfrey

Ngwenya to steer the SANDF togreater heights.

On the morning of 30 May 2005 theThaba Tshwane Military SportsGround was under siege as a paradecharacterised by military professional-ism at its best and in the form of thebrigade in review took place, in addi-tion to a fly-past, and a 17-gun salute,serenaded by a sweet duet by theNational Ceremonial Guards singerswith the Italian version of "Time to saygoodbye", followed by a standing ova-tion for Gen Nyanda on an illustriouscareer and devotion to duty thatspanned over 30 years.

When Gen Nyanda took over com-mand of the SANDF in May 1998, hehad a dream: "That the NationalDefence Force of the future will reflectthe demographics of the country. AllSouth Africans should be welcomed init. All should be able to rise to thehighest position of responsibility, irre-spective of race, religion, gender orcreed". His appointment was made ata time of great challenges and adversi-

G

A final compliment to a General for life

ty for the SANDF. The unprecedentedintegration of seven different forceswas a painful affair; the defence bud-get was plummeting downwards asthough out of control and with no endin sight. There were serious concernsabout block obsolescence in theSANDF, particularly in the SA Navy,which had largely been overlooked inthe acquisition of main equipment inthe former SADF.

Gen Nyanda said: "Today the humanresource component is graduallytransforming. There can be no laxityor compromise with regard to it.Deviations from discipline must bedealt with firmly, promptly, fairly andimpartially. Crime and the health ofour soldiers, particularly regarding thescourge of HIV and AIDS, continue toreceive the attention of the SANDFand the DOD in general in order tolimit their impact on the deployabilityof our soldiers. The crime and well-being strategies need continuous mon-

itoring and re-evaluation for them toremain effective."

Paying tribute to his predecessor, GenNgwenya said that the seven yearsthat Gen Nyanda was in command asthe Chief of the SANDF were mostchallenging, but he undertook to servehis country with loyalty, courage, dig-nity and honour. He performed hisduties and carried out his responsibili-ties with zeal and diligence. GenNgwenya added that the SANDF wasfaced with bigger national issues totackle, such as to raise readiness to therequired level, to be ready to meet thedemands of the situation and to tacklethe headache imposed on us by thethorny health problem.

Gen Ngwenya concluded: "I am cer-tain we shall emerge victorious,because you are leaving behind acapable administration consisting ofcommitted and dedicated men andwomen."

Gen Siphiwe Nyandabowed out as one of the country's finestofficers.

Military professionalism at its best as Gen Siphiwe Nyandaacknowledges a salute from the fly-past, a 17-gun salute and abrigade under the command of R Adm (JG) Rusty Higgs while GenGodfrey Ngwenya (left) looks on.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:09

M A Y 2 0 1 128


By PO Dennis Ndaba(published in SASoldier: April 2005,page 11)Photo: F Sgt DavidNomtshongwana

he SA NavalMess was abuzzwith dignitarieson 28 February2005. They borewitness to the

former Chief of the SANavy, V Adm Johan

T

First black person appointedas the Chief of the SA Navy

tion. In spite of severe budget anyconstraints he was not a person tocomplain about the situation, butone who sought answers to theproblems."

Gen Nyanda added that V AdmRetief had the gift of being able tomake complex issues seem straight-forward, which allowed him to con-front and address these issues withease. He was also known for hisstrong views on training and theimportance of producing a balancedService in terms of gender and race.In terms of the Strategic DefencePackages, V Adm Retief had takenthe running of two navies in his

stride; his legacy is that it can be done.

He added: "I welcome V AdmMudimu as the new Chief of the SANavy; he brings his own experienceand expertise to this vital office. I amsure the SA Navy will continue togrow and develop under the leader-ship of V Adm Mudimu." GenNyanda added that the new Navyincluded four magnificent new ValourClass corvettes, three brand new Class209 submarines, and many new facili-ties that will ensure a better quality oflife for our sailors. He said: "I knowthat the SA Navy will do well underthe guidance and leadership ofAdmiral Mudimu."

The SA Navywill continueto grow anddevelop under his leadership.

Gen Siphiwe Nyanda, the Chief of the SANDF, officiating as V Adm JohanRetief "hands over the watch" to V Adm Johannes Mudimu.

Retief, swallowing the anchor andstepping ashore for his well-deservedretirement. This was a milestone in thehistory of the SA Navy, as V AdmJohannes Mudimu became the firstblack person to be appointed as theChief of the SA Navy.

In paying tribute to the former Chiefof the SA Navy, Gen Nyanda said thatwhat had impressed him most aboutV Adm Retief at the outset was hissoft-spoken approach and his disarm-ing sense of humour. Gen Nyandasaid: "He is a clear communicator withgreat clarity of mind. He is a veryarticulate leader. The Navy Reviewwas his immediate, tangible contribu-

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:10

29


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

Saluting our Chiefs of the SA Air ForceBy PO Dennis Ndaba (published inSA Soldier: April 2005, page 10)Photo: F Sgt DavidNomtshongwana

he SA Air Force was united in itsresolve to salute their formerChief, Lt Gen Roelf Beukes, an

officer par excellence, on a distin-guished career that spanned fortyyears of commitment and dedicationto duty. By the same token it wel-comed their new Chief, Lt Gen CarloGagiano, to the helm.

In his address at the change ofcommand parade at Bay's Hill inPretoria on 25 February 2005, Lt GenBeukes said that the fly-past and airdisplay brought back fond memoriesand he was really grateful for andproud of having been a former mem-ber of the Silver Falcons, as well asOfficer Commanding of theCheetahs.

Lt Gen Beukes said: "Over the lastten years I have seen the SA AirForce evolving from a force whichalmost exclusively operated insidethe country in support of the SAPolice Services, and humanitarianand disaster relief operations duringthe early nineties, to one which todayis required to deploy to all parts ofthe continent and beyond.

"Against the background ofGovernment initiatives to improvethe lives of the people of South Africaand its neighbours, the peacefulapplication of air power has becomea priority.

Examples of such initiatives are

weg as the Officer Commanding.After a four-year tour at Lange-baanweg, he was transferred to theAir Force Office in December 1998,promoted to Brigadier General andappointed as the Inspector Generalof the SA Air Force. On 1 November2000 he was promoted to MajorGeneral and appointed as the ChiefDirector Operations Development atthe Joint Operations Divisionresponsible for defence capabilities,joint force employment strategy,joint command and control and jointdoctrine. Lt Gen Gagiano was trans-ferred back to the SA Air Force asChief Director Air Policy and Plansresponsible for Air Force policy,capabilities, strategy and resourceallocation. He was appointed as theChief of the SA Air Force on 1March 2005.

Lt Gen Roelf Beukes takes final compliments as theChief of the SA Air Force, while the new Chief of theSA Air Force, Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano, looks on.

T

South African Gripen makes its debutArticle courtesy www.gripen.com(published in SA Soldier: December2005, page 12)

outh Africa's first completedGripen fighter was unveiled on 28October 2005 in Linköping,

Sweden, during a roll-out ceremonyas it left the production line. The air-craft, which will be the first of 28Gripens to be delivered to the SA AirForce from 2008, will now be preparedfor a rigorous and thorough flight test

programme to integrate South Africa'scustomised avionics and missions sys-tems. Speaking on behalf of the SAGovernment at the roll-out ceremonyin Linköping, Sweden, South Africa'sMinister of Public Enterprises, Mr AlecErwin, highlighted the strategic signifi-cance of South Africa's Gripen acquisi-tion and its role as a catalyst for broadindustrial, trade and economic devel-opment in South Africa.

Sweden's Minister of Defence, Ms

Leni Björklund, said Sweden wouldcontinue to develop further itsalready strong strategic, political,defence, industrial and economiclinks with South Africa:

"The relations between our twocountries can only be described asexcellent. I would like to take thisopportunity to underline and mani-fest the Swedish Government's desireto further develop and expand thesemuch appreciated relations," saidMs Leni Björklund

S

the present deployments in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) and Burundi, and the repeateddiplomatic initiatives, supported bythe SA Air Force, to promote peaceand stability across the continent."

New Chief of the SA Air Force

Lt Gen Gagiano joined the SA AirForce in 1968 and qualified as a piloton the Air Macchi 326M in December1969. During his career he flew theHarvard, Pilatus PC 7, Vampire, F86Sabre, Mirage 111, FICZ, as well as theCheetah D and E aircraft. He wasappointed as the Officer Commanding3 Squadron, which operated F1CZ air-craft. In 1989 he was appointed as theOfficer Commanding 89 CombatFlying School, which was equippedwith Cheetah D aircraft. He occupied

the post ofmilitaryattaché inIsrael from1991 until hisreturn toSouth Africain January1994. He com-pleted theSANDF's JointStaff Course inNovember1994 and wasthen trans-ferred toCentral FlyingSchoolLangebaan-

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:10

M A Y 2 0 1 130


By Lebohang Letaoana (published inSA Soldier: September 2005, page 16)Photo: F Sgt David Nomtshongwana

e came, he saw and he con-quered. After a span of 35years in the military Lt GenRinus Jansen van Rensburghanded over the reins ofSurgeon General to Lt Gen

Vejaynand Ramlakan during a changeof command parade held at the ThabaTshwane Military Sports Grounds on 1August 2005. The SA Military HealthService community came in numbers towitness this special occasion at whichthey experienced mixed feelings ofpride, excitement and sadness.

Lt Gen Jansen van Rensburg said: "I do,however, have to admit that it is withsadness that I take leave of the SAMilitary Health Service (SAMHS). Ithas been a privilege to be at the helm ofthe SAMHS for the past four plusyears. It has been an enriching experi-ence, which I would not change foranything."

There have been many developmentsand changes in the SAMHS over thepast few years under the formerSurgeon General, for example:

The establishment and developmentof five formations, and their units,as well as that of the GSB ThabaTshwane.Existing directorates were expandedand staffed, but additional direc-torates were also established, name-ly the Directorate Physical Training,Sport and Recreation, the

H

Saluting our former and new Surgeon Generals

Directorate Occupational Healthand Safety and the DirectorateReserve Force.The introduction of the BATLSand BARTS Courses at theMilitary Health TrainingFormation. Another area of train-ing, which has been expanded, isDisaster Management. During therecent earthquake in Algiers, aDisaster Management Team,including instructors from theMilitary Health TrainingFormation, were able to test theirskills in a real-life situation.The establishment of the

University Reserve Training Unit.This training unit will enable medi-cal students from the various ter-tiary institutions to join the ReserveForce and undergo military trainingwith a view to their becoming med-ical officers within the Reserves.

The outgoing Surgeon General con-cluded: "However, the successesachieved would not have been possible,if I had not had the support of capable,dedicated and focused chief directors,commanders, directors and staff offi-cers. I was always able to rely on theirassistance and advice."

The SA Military Health Service community experiencedmixed feelings of pride, excitement and sadness

Lt Gen Rinus Jansen van Rensburg (left) handed over the reins ofSurgeon General to Lt Gen Vejaynand Ramlakan.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:10

31


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

Article and photo by F Sgt DavidNomtshongwana (an extract ofwhat was published in SA Soldier:September 2006, page 15)

he first Commander of theAfrican Mission in Burundi(AMIB) was Maj Gen SiphoBinda. His successor, MajGen Derick Mgwebi, tookover from him under the

African Union (AU) flag in April2004. On 1 June 2005 AMIB changedto the United Nations Operation inBurundi (ONUB).

SA Soldier and Defence TV, under thesupervision of Col Daan Boshoff andMaj Ellouis Janse van Rensburg fromChief Joint Operations, are makingsure that our mission is a success asfar as media coverage in Burundi isconcerned. Together we visited theUnited Nations HQ in Bujumbura tointerview the ONUB ForceCommander, Maj Gen Mgwebi,father of the mission.

Maj Gen Mgwebi is a tall, silent andwell-built senior officer. He is a realsoldier and a role model of what asenior officer should be. This is whathe had to say about how it all started,the current situation, the challenges,and of course his experiences.

Maj Gen Mgwebi said: "South Africaplayed a most important role in thepeace process of Burundi throughfacilitation, as requested by theregion. The former President, MrNelson Mandela, took over from thelate Dr Julius Nyerere, the former

T

The Force Commander in Burundi speaks out

President of Tanzania. He gave the roleto former Deputy President JacobZuma to continue with the processuntil it was given to the Minister ofSafety and Security, Mr CharlesNqakula."

He added: "The SANDF created asecure environment for this process togo ahead, an environment in whichmutual confidence had been builtbetween the role-players in this pro-cess. Our presence has allowed politi-cal leaders in exile to return and startimplementing the Arusha Peace and

Reconciliation Agreement forBurundi. Our soldiers acted as VIPprotectors to provide a secure envi-ronment for those who were in exile.

"South Africa has played a vital role interms of confidence building as far ascombatants are concerned so that theycould go to the assembly areas wherethey agreed to be disarmed becausethey were given protection by theSANDF. The combatants were willingto be disarmed because of the trustand confidence that they had in theSouth African soldiers."

We are making sure that our mission is a success asfar as media coverage in Burundi is concerned.

Maj Gen Derick Mgwebi, the ONUB Force Commander, salutesduring the RSA Battalion medal parade at the Modderfontein Basein Bujumbura.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:10

M A Y 2 0 1 1


By Sgt Lebohang Letaoana (anextract of what was published in SASoldier: January 2006, page 16)Photo: courtesy GCIS

A Soldier, the official monthlymagazine of the Department ofDefence, had the opportunityto participate in the annualprestigious GovernmentCommunicators' Awards,which were held at Gallagher

Estates in Midrand on 2 December2005.

On that beautiful evening SA Soldierswept two awards - the NationalUbungcweti Award and the biggest ofthem all - the Government Communi-cator of the Year Award. "Ubungcweti"is the IsiZulu word for excellence, andthis award recognises excellence inwriting, editorial content, layout anddesign. It also caters for photography,broadcasting and for contestants fromthe new media, such as the Intranetand Internet. The main award - theGovernment Communicator of the YearAward - recognises excellence in allareas of Government communication.

The winner was chosen from among allthe finalists in the other categories. DrEssop Pahad, Minister in thePresidency, initiated these awards in2002. He wanted to recognise andreward top Government communica-tors who went beyond the call of dutyin delivering their mandate to commu-nicate the work of the Government. Theawards were for improved delivery,innovation and excellence in theGovernment communications profes-sion - and to encourage communicatorsto work hard. Mr Manelisi Wolela,Deputy Commissioner of

S

SA Soldier sweepsGovernment Awards

Communications of the Department ofCorrectional Services, won theNational Bua Award. Bua means "tospeak" in Setswana. This award catego-ry caters for ministerial liaison officers,departmental spokespersons and indi-vidual communicators who displaycourage, commitment, dedication anddiscipline in their work.

Another member of the SANDF whomade the organisation proud was Col

Marthie Visser, SSO DefenceCorporate Communication Strategy,Policy and Planning, who won theTop Student Award for ProfessionalCertificate in GovernmentCommunications and Marketing(PCGCM). The PCGCM aims to pro-vide an overview of the theory andpractice of public sector management,with specific focus on communica-tions and marketing in a developingcountry context.

The Government Awards were initiated to recogniseand reward top Government communicators whowent beyond the call of duty in delivering their man-date to communicate the work of the Government.

The SA Soldier team won the Government Communicator of theYear Award and the National Ubungcweti Award, fltr: Sgt LebohangLetaoana, Nomonde Vuthela, Werner van der Westhuizen, CPODennis Ndaba, F Sgt David Nomtshongwana, Mr Dali Mpofu, CEOSABC, Nelda Pienaar and Dr Essop Pahad, Minister in thePresidency.

32

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:10

33M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

33


soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:10

M A Y 2 0 1 134


By Lebohang Letaoana (an extractof what was published in SASoldier: July 2006, page 14) Photo: Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

ocated a little more than 10degrees below the equator inthe western Indian Ocean, thedifferent islands of theComoros, namely Nzwani(Anjouan), Mwali (Moheli)

and the Ngazidja (Grande Comoros)have a maritime tropical climate.

SA Soldier got the opportunity to gothere and provide media coveragefor the presidential elections in theUnion of the Comoros from 11 to 19May 2006 as part of Operation TRI-TON 4. The elections are held everyfour years, with the office rotatingbetween the three islands.

On 11 October 2005 the Governmentof the Union of the Comoros request-ed the African Union (AU) to moni-tor the elections in the Comoros. Inresponse to this request the AUestablished an AU Mission toSupport the Elections in the Comoros(AMISEC). This mission was com-posed of military and civilian officers.

L

Securing the elections in the Comoros

The duties of AMISEC were exclu-sively international and its personnelcarried out their duties and conduct-ed themselves in such a way as topromote the interests of AMISEC.The mandate of AMISEC includedthe following:

To create a secure environmentfor the holding of free, fair andtransparent elections in theComoros.To monitor, observe and reporton the situation in the islands tothe Chairperson of theCommission.To ensure that during the elec-toral process the Comorian securi-ty forces, ie the Union of theComoros' security forces andthose of the autonomous islands

and their equipment were con-fined to barracks. However,unarmed local police were respon-sible for routine law enforcementnot related to the electoral process.Control mechanisms were estab-lished to monitor such police activities.

South Africa as the leading nationunder the authority and control of theAfrican Union sent a considerablenumber of soldiers on this mission. LtCol Oscar Viljoen, the Chief of Staff,said the SANDF had 460 soldiersdeployed on the three islands and anadditional 675 were deployed for fivedays to secure the elections. The ideawas to deploy soldiers at everypolling station, of which there wereabout 550.

The elections are heldevery four years, withthe office rotatingbetween the threeislands.

Election Day: Comorians queuing to cast their votes while anSANDF member is on guard.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:10

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 35


Article and photo by F Sgt DavidNomtshongwana (published in SASoldier: May 2007, page 14)

loodwater from heavy rainfallin Mozambique flowed intoCahora Bassa Dam andcaused it to overflow. To easethe pressure on the dam, thesluice gates had to be opened.The decision to open the

sluices resulted in floods in southernMozambique. People in areas such asCaia village were stranded.

Most of the people affected by thefloods were those who had built theirhouses on the banks of the ZambeziRiver. The Mozambican Governmentrequested the South AfricanDepartment of Foreign Affairs, andProvincial and Local Government toassist in humanitarian aid provision tothe affected people of Mozambique.The South African aid was neededafter tropical cyclone Favio floodedsome parts of southern Mozambiquein late February 2007.

It was the second rescue operationsince the big floods in 2000 followedby those of 2004 and 2007, which wasmonitored by the Institute of NationalGovernment for Disaster Management(INGC). The SANDF Joint Task Force,under the command of Col RonnieJonsson, was deployed to assist theaffected people. Its mission was tospeed up the process of deliveringfood, as well as to assess the situationand provide clean water to people inthe flooded areas.

Two Oryx helicopters, an Augusta 109helicopter and a Casa 212 transportaircraft from the SA Air Force, andtwo Water Buffel water purificationplants from the SA Army engineersand SANDF personnel were providedto support the mission. Although theWorld Food Programme and the

F

SANDF reached out toMozambique flood victims

INGC agencies were already busy pro-viding food, shelter and water to theaffected people, the arrival of the JointTask Force came at the right time whenfood and water were most needed forthe people affected by the floods.

The SA Air Force distributed 523,5metric tons of food to the various iden-tified resettlement centres by air trans-port and the engineers provided 2 411000 litres of purified water during theperiod 6 March to 10 April 2007. TheWorld Food Programme had distribut-ed more than 1 000 metric tons of foodto 120 000 displaced people as of 13February 2007.

Col Jonsson told SA Soldier that thetime frame for the mission was tooshort for proper logistical preparation.People previously deployed, such as

WO1 Johan Botha, assisted a greatdeal on this mission. As a logisticexpert WO1 Botha made sure that allthe important equipment was loaded.Because of the experience he hadgained from the previous deploy-ments between Beira and Caia in 2004he knew exactly what to expect.

Col Jonsson concluded by saying thatwith supporting personnel and equip-ment Operation LITCHI II was suc-cessful.Talking to members of the media theRegional Director of INGC, Mr JoseDambira, said that the situationwould be monitored and the datakept for future reference. The informa-tion gathered would be useful whenand if disaster struck again, whichwould improve the handling of suchsituations.

The mission was to speed up the process of deliveringfood, as well as to assess the situation and provideclean water to people in the flooded areas.

The resettlement camp of the people on higher ground. Behind it isthe subsiding Zambezi River.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:10

36


M A Y 2 0 1 1

By Nomonde Vuthela (published inSA Soldier: July 2007, page 18)Photo: Cpl Elias Mahuma

roviding media coverage onSANDF members deployed atthe Chris Hani BaragwanathHospital, affectionately knownas "Bara" to most SouthAfricans, has got to be one of

my most intense experiences yet. "Bara"Hospital is the largest hospital in Africawith about 88 patient wards, but theunforeseen and unpredictable publicservice national strike brought the enor-mous institute to a virtual standstill.

The wage dispute between the"Government" and "workers" who putdown tools and went on protest march-es meant that all things stopped mov-ing. Heeding the call to provide dam-age control the South African MilitaryHealth Service (SAMHS) deployedmost of its members to public hospitalswhere the sick were left in dire straits.

The visit of SA Soldier on 19 June 2007to 8 Medical Battalion Unit erectedinside the "Bara" Hospital grounds inresponse to the state of emergency isprobably the closest I will ever come toa scenario overflowing with casualties,like the battlefield makeshift hospitals Ihave seen so often in movies.

The Officer Commanding 8 MedicalBattalion, Col Gustave Erlank, told theSA Soldier team that on an average daythe hospital has around 2 000 bedpatients. On the day that we visited, thenumber had dropped to 1 100. "Thematernity ward was the busiest section

P

Protecting Human Rights

all along," according to the Officer inCharge, who added that the maternityand gynaecology wards were thebiggest in terms of space, volume anddemand, with almost 50 "normal" birthsa day, excluding the caesarean sectionpatients.

8 Medical Battalion had already seentwo weeks of deployment by 19 June2007, with a total of 117 staff membersworking two twelve-hour shifts, aroundthe clock. He added: "We are handlingthis as a military operation even thoughwe are giving health support to the hos-pital. We have an Operations Roomwhere we receive requirements from

the hospital on what personnel andmedical assistance is needed in thewards."

The unit members also transported thedead from the ward to the morgue. ColErlank continued: "Most of the work isconcerned with casualties. There wasalso a big need for the laundry to getdone and a lot of effort was also putinto the kitchens. The medical healthcore function is to look after peopleand to see to it that people's well-beingis taken care of, but we have also gotpsychologists and social workers towork with my members on a dailybasis."

The unforeseen and unpredictable public servicenational strike brought the largest hospital in Africawith about 88 patient wards, to a virtual standstill.

Military Skills Development System (MSDS) members from theSAMHS Training Formation in Pretoria prepare for a day's workbefore leaving the women's sleeping ward.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:11

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 37


By Tebogo Dube, Defence TV (pub-lished in SA Soldier: September2007, page 20)Photo: Mampi Musweu, ZNBC TV

he recent SADC Summit washeld in Lusaka, Zambia, from15 to 17 August 2007. Thehighlight during the Summitwas the launch of the SADCBRIGADE. The SADC

BRIGADE was officially launched bythe President of Zambia, Mr LevyPatrick Mwanawasa, in Lusaka on 17August.

This brigade forms part of the AfricanStandby Force. The deterioration ofsecurity in Africa led to the formationof the African Standby Force. Africanheads of state realised that the scourgeof conflicts in Africa constituted a majorimpediment to the socio-economicdevelopment of the continent and thatthey needed to promote peace, securityand stability as a prerequisite forAfrica's development and integration.

The Policy Framework Document forthe establishment of the AfricanStandby Force was approved by theAfrican heads of state in Addis Ababain July 2004. The launch of the SADCBRIGADE signified that the troopswere to be deployed on the continentwhen needed. The brigade is made upof resources pledged by SADC memberstates according to a standby arrange-ment and comprises the military, thepolice and a civilian component.

The only permanent structure theSADC has is the Planning Element

T

The launch of the SADCBRIGADE in Lusaka

(PLANELM), which is located atthe SADC Headquarters inGaborone and consists of themilitary, the police and a civiliancomponent. The PLANELM isguided by the SADC Chiefs ofDefence Staff Committee and theCommittee of SADC PoliceChiefs.

The Brigade will perform obser-vation and monitoring missions,peace support missions, inter-ventions for peace and securityrestoration in grave circum-stances at the request of a mem-ber state, and prevent thespreading to neighbouring areasor states of conflicts or the resur-gence of violence after agree-ments have been reached, asenvisaged in the African Union'sMandate with regard to peaceand security.

In his speech at the ceremonyPresident Mwanawasa, who isalso the SADC Chairperson,said: "I wish to commend thehard and laborious work doneby the SADC Organ on Politics,Defence and Security Co-opera-tion for the realisation of this his-toric occasion today". He award-

The deteriorationof security in Africaled to the forma-tion of the AfricanStandby Force.

The parade on the day of the launchof the SADC BRIGADE.

ed medals to officers who had served in thePLANELM for more than three months.

A plaque with the flags of all the SADCmember states was also unveiled at theparade.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:11

M A Y 2 0 1 138


Advancing the noble cause of democracyBy L Cpl Ally Rakoma (an extract ofwhat was published in SA Soldier:June 2008, page 20)Photo: Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

s our country took its first stepsin advancing the noble cause ofdemocracy in 1994, the emphasis

was placed on the Reconstruction andDevelopment Programme (RDP) andsocio-economic priorities.

As we celebrate unity in buildinga better South Africa, Freedom Daycelebrations in our country mark theculmination of a long and hard wonstruggle that has seen countlessheroes and heroines make the ulti-mate sacrifice, and living the life ofselflessness for freedom anddemocracy.

The Landsdown Stadium in CapeTown was the place to be on 27 April2008 as the SANDF, otherGovernment departments and thepeople of the Western Cape assem-bled to celebrate the 14th anniversary

of freedom. The theme of the celebra-tions was "Business Unusual: AllHands on Deck to Speed up Change".

So what does Freedom Day meanto the youth? SA Soldier talked to someyoung people to find out whatFreedom Day really meant to them.Oupa Japhta (23) voiced his opinion as

follows: "As we celebrate the 14thanniversary of our democracy, SouthAfrica has built a sense of nationalunity and Freedom Day highlights theachievement of our Government's in-service delivery, social goals and thecreation of solidarity in the rainbownation and a better life for all."

A

Bringing festive cheer to our deployed soldiersBy L Cpl Ally Rakoma and PteItumeleng Makhubela (an extract ofwhat was published in SA Soldier:November 2008, page 18)Photo: F Sgt DavidNomtshongwana

he SANDF Spouses Forum andMassmart Holdings Limited host-ed a breakfast briefing in Pretoria

on 22 August 2008. The aim of theoccasion was to reaffirm and expressappreciation for the SANDF's vitalrole in helping to bring peace to thecontinent. Gen Godfrey Ngwenya,Chief of the SANDF, welcomed theguests and mentioned that theSANDF was the shield of the nationand belonged to the people of SouthAfrica.

SA Soldier conversed with MrGraham Rebello, Massmart ChannelExecutive: Massmart HoldingsLimited, who mentioned thatMassmart had adopted the leadingrole in facilitating the building of rela-

tionships between sponsors, valuedsuppliers and the SANDF.

Mr Rebello said: "As sponsors wereally appreciate our soldiers'unselfish service, self-giving and sup-port of their fellow brothers and sis-ters on our continent and in advancingpeace. We appreciate the SANDF'sworkforce that continues to carry thebaton and flag of peace within our

borders and beyond on our continent.We hope in some small way that thegesture of receiving the goodwillparcels over the festive period will gosome way to putting a smile on thefaces of our members and their lovedones at home to show that we care forthem."

At the Gala evening held at the StGeorge's Hotel in Pretoria, the

T

Members of the National Ceremonial Guard lined up to form theGuard of Honour and the SA Army Band Western Cape capturedthe hearts of those present with their soulful repertoire.

Mr Paul Myeza, Managing Director of Sanlam,receives a certificate from the Chief of theSANDF, Gen Godfrey Ngwenya.

Goodwill ParcelProject yet againprovided proof ofthe selflessness ofpeople supportingpeace and prosperi-ty. On 12 September2008 high-profilemembers of theSANDF and the pri-vate sector wereinvited to pledgetheir support to thedeployed soldiersas a way of uplift-ing their morale.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:11

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 39


soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:11

M A Y 2 0 1 140


By L Cpl Ally Rakoma (an extract ofwhat was published in SA Soldier:December 2008, page 14)Photo: S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

Multimillion rand facelift andupgrade of AFB Waterkloof

He added that the SAAF and DODneeded to increase contact withGovernment and its stakeholders toexplain to them what the SAAF need-ed to operate and deliver its mandatein a more cost-effective manner.Regarding the SAAF's plan to consoli-date its maintenance facilities with themaintenance staff from Denel Aviation,Lt Gen Gagiano said that a new sup-port vision had been created withDenel Aviation to achieve specific ser-vice delivery outcomes.

He also mentioned that the SAAF hadmet various aviation authorities,including the South African Airways

(SAA) with their pilots, air trafficcontrollers and widespread expertisein the avionic environment in theReserve Force, to see if these couldhelp alleviate the problem.

Lt Gen Gagiano concluded: "We willnot settle for second best, but perse-vere despite our challenges. Strivingfor air power is after all our goal:that is what airmanship is all about."It is expected that the upgrades willbe completed by the year 2011. Thebriefing was concluded with an aeri-al tour of AFB Waterkloof, whichwas an eye-opening experience formembers of the media.

“The Air Force will not settle for second best, but per-severe despite our challenges,” Lt Gen Gagiano.

Construction work taking place at AFB Waterkloof.

n 13 November2008 the Chief ofthe SA Air Force,Lt Gen CarloGagiano, hosteda media briefing

at AFB WaterkloofOfficers Mess for membersof the media on the stateof the SA Air Force(SAAF) and to give anupdate of the multimillionrand facelift and upgradeof AFB Waterkloof run-ways, taxiways and strate-gic airlift facilities. Thesewill result from the con-struction of maintenancehangars for aircraft andspecialised facilities able to

O

accommodate the SAAF's soon to beacquired A400M heavy lift aircraft.

Admitting that the SAAF was facingserious challenges, particularly theretention of skilled personnel, theChief of the SAAF said that interna-tional sources were scouting theSAAF's expertise. Lt Gen Gagianosaid: "The SAAF cannot competeagainst the large remuneration pack-ages luring our personnel off to newchallenges. The areas most affectedare flying crew, command and con-trol, air traffic controllers and techni-cians, specifically in the avionicenvironment."

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:11

41


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

By Lufuno Netshirembe (an extractof what was published in SA Soldier:November 2009, page 13) Photo: SSgt Lebogang Tlhaole

outh Africa does not live inisolation. If it has to enjoy itshard earned democracy then ithas the responsibility to keepthe African continent stable,politically and economically.Considering that South Africa

emphasises the principles of UBUNTU,which is about putting people first, it isnot surprising that South Africa is apioneer in peace missions for the sakeof securing a better life for all in linewith these UBUNTU principles.

The involvement of South Africans inpeace missions has brought hope to dis-illusioned people in the various conflictstricken countries. Peace missionsinclude preventative diplomacy, peace-making, peacekeeping, peace enforce-ment, peace building, humanitarianassistance and intervention. TheSANDF has spent a decade participat-ing in peace missions. To celebrate thisworthy activity by our soldiers on 16October, the SANDF brigade paradeunder the command of Brig Gen Ash-ton Sibango and CWO Joachim Pre-torius was held in Bloemfontein in hon-our of our peace "angels". This paradewas held in AFB Bloemspruit and theBloemfontein City Hall. On 15 and 16October the streets surrounding the cityhall were closed from approximately11:00 to 13:30.

S

Commander-in-Chief honoursSouth African peacekeepers

The SANDF Commander-in-Chief and President of SouthAfrica, Mr Jacob Zuma, wasinvited to attend and to honourour tireless and fearless peacewarriors. The Commander-in-Chief laid a wreath in memoryof those who lost their lives dur-ing peace missions.

In his speech the Commander-in-Chief commended the sol-diers: "Members on parade, youhave been excellent ambassadorsof our country in the quest forpeace. In difficult circumstancesyou have earned yourselves aplace in the hearts of many".

South Africa is a pioneer in peace missions for thesake of securing a better life for all.

The Commander-in-Chief, PresidentJacob Zuma, awarded WO2 DickShadrack Mkhonto with the Star forBravery Gold Medal for performinggreat deeds of exceptional braveryby putting his life in danger duringMK military operations.

direction of Lt Col Matthys Pienaar,Director of Music of the SAAF Band.Two Augusta 109 helicopters from 87Helicopter Flying School based inAFB Bloemspruit performed theflight salute. The SA Army ArtilleryMobilisation Regiment performedthe 21-gun salute under the com-mand of Maj Frans van Niekerk,while the SA Navy performed preci-sion drill.

In view of the fact that our countrydoes not live in isolation, its econom-ic development and security arelinked to Africa's stability. In pursuitof a better life for all the SANDF willcontinue to be deployed on variouspeace missions and thus render polit-ical, economic and humanitarian aidto various African states.

President Zuma urged the nation toinvest in our National Defence Force."Investing in the SANDF means we areinvesting in the creation of conditionsfor democracy, the strengthening ofdemocracy and defending democracy,"said the President. He indicated thatthe perception that intensifying democ-racy reduced the security threat wasincorrect; what reduced the threat wasinvesting in the defence of our demo-cratic state.

The members on parade representedall the Services and Divisions of theSANDF that participated in peace mis-sions, and the colour company consist-ed of Service and Regimental coloursof Services and Units that participatedin peace missions. The mass band com-prised four service bands under the

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:11

M A Y 2 0 1 142


By L Cpl Itumeleng Makhubela (anextract of what was published inSA Soldier: October 2009, page 11) Photo: S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

xercise GOLFINHO is a multi-national peacekeeping opera-tion with over 6 000 partici-pants from different securityforces and support elements.This unique approach to

peace support missions has taken theSouthern African DevelopmentCommunity (SADC) region by stormthrough its complexity and execution.The SADC Standby Force was estab-lished as agreed upon by the AfricanUnion timeline of 2010 with the aim ofparticipating in peace support mis-sions. Its main objective was to pre-pare elements of the SADC StandbyForce for a multidimensional peacesupport operation in line with theAfrican Union (AU) standby forceroad map.

Briefing the media about ExerciseGOLFINHO, Brig Gen LawrenceSmith, the Force Commander, saidthey had selected scenario six of theprescribed AU training structure, anintervention that posed difficulties interms of interoperability. He describedit as a way of testing impossibilities byputting together people of differentgroupings and backgrounds. The com-position of the SADC Standby Forceconsisted of the Mission Headquarters,a civilian component, a police compo-nent and the military component thatmade an immense contribution by pro-viding personnel.

Exercise GOLFINHO was structuredin three phases. The first was the

E

Exercise GOLFINHO

MAPEX, which was the initialpart of the exercise and entailedmapping and operational plan-ning. This was followed by theCPX command post exercise,and lastly the training exerciseFTX, a month-long field train-ing exercise at the SA ArmyTraining Combat Centre inLohatlha that took place from 1to 28 September 2009. Thisinvolved the execution part ofthe exercise and mobilisedforces in member states. It alsocomprised intervention by air-borne forces and marrying updrills by integrating SADCstates and their different forces.

Brig Gen Smith said each com-ponent had a sector comman-der to oversee its engagementand successfully interactedwith other components despiteminor obstacles. Of the 15countries that form the SADC,only three: Mauritius,Seychelles and Madagascarwere non-participants in theexercise. Each SADC state had

It is a multinational peacekeeping operation with participants from different security forces and support elements.

Soldiers lowering flags during thedecommissioning parade.

scene depicted how a well-integratedSADC force would handle such inci-dents. The objective of the exercisewas to test the interoperability andcompatibility of the mission compo-nents. Unlike the military and policecomponents, the civilian componenthad to provide assistance in humani-tarian relief operation.

to provide for their own forces. TheNaval Joint Maritime Task Force atWalvis Bay in Namibia also ran anexercise concurrently with the one inLohatlha.

A simulated hostile take-over of rebelmilitants on armaments vehicles wasstaged during a demonstration. The

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:11

43


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

By Col Robert Zeelie, DefenceAttaché Rome, Italy (an extract ofwhat was published in SA Soldier:December 2009, page 32)Photo: WO2 Riaan van Zyl

ike most other defence forcesacross the globe, the SouthAfrican National Defence Force(SANDF) has its own televisionunit. This section, Defence TV, isresponsible for all audio-visualcommunication within the

Department of Defence (DOD). Andlike its counterparts from all over theworld this section sometimes enterssome of its work for the InternationalMilitary Film Festival, namely "Esercitie Popoli", which is hosted annually inNovember in Italy.

Defence TV has been participating inthis festival since 2001 and had previ-ously won two awards in this competi-tion. This year Defence TV entered twodocumentaries in two different cate-gories in the competition.

It once again stood its ground on for-eign soil by winning first prize in thecategory "Military Operations,Safeguard of Peace and HumanRights", a much-coveted award, sincethe competition is especially tough inthis category, which focuses on thepeacetime role of defence forces all overthe world. This year, the 20th

L

Defence TV wins top award at international film festival

International Military Film Festival onceagain took place in Bracciano, Italy. Thispicturesque little town is located on theshores of Lake Bracciano. As always,the festival offered a platform for thevarious armed forces to showcase theirrole and function in present-day society.

The main categories of the competitionwere well represented in the followingareas: institutional information, history,training, environmental protection, pro-motion, teaching and operational activi-ties. Special emphasis was placed onrecent and relevant themes, such ashumanitarian and peacekeeping mis-sions, first aid support in case of naturaldisasters and the fight against terrorism.

Freelance producer, Mr Karel van derMerwe, an ex-SANDF member himselfwith 17 years' experience in military

Defence TV, is responsi-ble for all audio-visualcommunication withinthe Department ofDefence.

The Defence TV crew - "Eye of the Forces" - fltr: Mr John Adler, Ms Cindy Ludick, Mr Tebogo Dube, Mr Ronnet Kgaphola, Mr EnockMkhwanazi, Mr Pule Tsoai, Mr Bongani Khuzwayo. In front: MrKarel van der Merwe, freelance writer and producer.

film production, directed Advocates ofAfrican Peace, the award-winning docu-mentary, for the SANDF. This docu-mentary takes an in-depth look at thevarious peacekeeping missions that theSANDF has been involved in duringthe past ten years.

The documentary is dedicated to theSANDF's ten-year involvement ininternational peace missions. The 1 200guests who attended the luncheon inthe Bloemfontein City Hall that formedpart of the official ten-year celebrationson 16 October, viewed the premiereduring this event. The Commander-in-Chief of the SANDF, President JacobZuma, the Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu,and various other high-profile stake-holders were among the guests whoviewed this documentary.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:11

M A Y 2 0 1 144


By L Cpl Itumeleng Makhubela (anextract of what was published in SASoldier: May 2010, page 16)Photos: Sgt Elias Mahuma

he Department of Defence, inconjunction with theDepartment of Public Works,has completed the construc-tion of three bridges in theEastern Cape villages of

Lefukufuku near Tsomo, Ntafufu atPort St Johns and Daluhlanga nearMount Ayliff. 16 March 2010 saw theopening of the newly constructedbridges by the Deputy Minister ofDefence and Military Veterans, MrThabang Makwetla, accompanied bythe Minister of Public Works, Mr GeoffDoidge, and the MEC of Roads andTransport in the Eastern Cape, MsPemmy Majodina. Mr Makwetla indi-cated that this project was a pilot pro-ject for the SANDF aimed at testingthe capacity and capability to lendassistance to other government depart-ments in support of the people.

He further stated that this interventionby the DOD came after a request bythe Department of Public Works toassist following concerns expressed bythe communities in these areas thatduring floods they would be cut offrom services and children would beunable to go to school.

Many municipalities in these ruralareas do not have sufficient funds andexpertise to provide services to thesecommunities, which has led to a hugebacklog in the delivery of services. TheDOD intervention was the provision of

T

DOD closes gaps on service delivery

the expertise, manpower andequipment for the constructionof the bridges.

The MEC of Roads andTransport in the Eastern Capeexpressed her gratitude to allthe stakeholders that hadworked together to realise thegoal. Along with the ministers,she affirmed that this wouldnot end here, but would beextended to other areas in need.

The SANDF aimed at testing the capacity and capabilityto lend assistance to other government departments in support of the people.

Jubilant learners crossing the bridge over the Daluhlanga River.

Soldiers from 1 ConstructionRegiment busy at work constructinga bridge.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:12

M A Y 2 0 1 1 s 45


Operation LITCHI 10 years down the lineBy Kgabo Mashamaite (an extractof what was published in SASoldier: June 2010, page 16)Photo: Sgt Elias Mahuma

osita Mabuiango (10) and hermother, Ms Sofia Chiure, werethe guests of honour at the

Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans' budget vote on 4 May 2010in Parliament, Cape Town, whereMinister Lindiwe Sisulu announcedthat the SANDF had formally adopt-ed Rosita, and would be contributingtowards her educational costs andother costs related to her upbringing.

On 1 March 2000 the villagers inGaza Province in Mozambique wokeup to a flood that endangered notonly their village, but also other near-by villages as well. Torrential rainhad resulted in the river overflowingits banks and inundating the sur-rounding area.

Owing to a lack of capacity andresources to rescue stranded villagers,Mozambique requested humanitarianassistance from the South AfricanGovernment. The rescue mission,called Operation LITCHI, was under-taken in response to this request.

The decision to send SANDFmembers to the distressed villages in

Gaza Province had a positive impacton the people being evacuated fromthe deadly floods. When this missionwas broadcast and published on inter-national media the world witnessedthe bravery, humanity and empathythat the SANDF had for the less fortu-nate in times of difficulty. An Oryxhelicopter of the SA Air Force, one ofthe four deployed on the OperationLITCHI rescue mission, was seen hov-ering over a tree to rescue a newbornbaby and her mother.

That tiny little bundle is today a

the 2000 rescue team members: Lt Col(Ret) Jaco Klopper (Task ForceMission Commander), Capt (Ret)Chris Berlyn (Pilot) and WO2Tshifiwa Nengovhela (a SAMHSMedic) for the first time on 4 May2010. The occasion was televised dur-ing the annual Defence budget vote.The other members who participatedin the rescue mission were Lt (Ret)Dave Talbot (Co-pilot), Sgt (Ret)Neville Jeanes (Flight Engineer) andSgt (Ret) Stuart Buck (RescuePersonnel) who were not present.

R

SA Air Force boasts first female Gripen pilot By Cpl Itumeleng Makhubela (anextract of what was published in SASoldier: November 2010, page 17)Photo: S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

he SA Air Force can boast of hav-ing produced the first femaleGripen fighter jet pilot in the world

- Maj Catherine Labuschagne.With over 12 years of service in the

SA Air Force Maj Labuschagne hasapproximately 1 900 flying hours to hercredit of which 1 000 are in militaryjets. "This is fantastic for me, and I amexcited," remarked Maj Labuschagne."It's amazing what you can do with theaircraft, but you need to be persistentand work hard."

In 2004, after joining 85 CombatFlying School in Hoedspruit, MajLabuschagne had an opportunity tobecome the first female fighter pilot in

the world to fly in the backseat of the Swedish builtGripen fighter jet at theopening of the AfricanAerospace and DefenceExhibition. In 2010 she nowflies solo in a Gripen.

Three male Gripen fight-er pilots qualified with MajLabuschagne at Air ForceBase Makhado. The four ofthem completed their Oper-ational Conversion Coursein which they flew solo inGripens on 7 October 2010.

Maj Labuschagne, MajLance Mathebula, Lt KevinChetty and Lt Col Gys vander Walt will form a pool offighter pilots who havepaved the way for up-and-coming aviators.

T

Fltr: WO2 Tshifiwa Nengovhela (a SAMHSMedic), Rosita Mabuiango (10-year-old),Ms Lindiwe Sisulu (Minister of Defence andMilitary Veterans), and Lt Gen CarloGagiano (Chief of the SA Air Force) duringthe 2010 Minister's Budget Vote.

Maj Catherine Labuschagne is the firstfemale Gripen fighter jet pilot in theworld.

bright 10 year-old, RositaMabuiango, whose 33-year-old mother, MsSofia Chiure, made head-lines after giving birth ina tree during the rangingfloods.

During the announce-ment in her budget vote,Minister Sisulu said thatRosita represented some-thing uniquely goodabout the SANDF,including its humanity,bravery, skilful tech-niques and the valuesinculcated in the mem-bers of the SANDF.

The family met with

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:12

M A Y 2 0 1 146


By Manelisi K. Ndaba, DCC:Specialist writer (an extract of whatwas published in SA Soldier: June2010, page 18)Photo: S Sgt Lebogang Tlhaole

he SANDF recently returnedto safeguard the country's bor-ders, and the general publichas received the return of theSANDF to borderline control,known as Operation CORO-

NA, positively, particularly the com-munities closest to these borders. Thiswas evident during the PortfolioCommittee on Defence's visit duringwhich they wanted to examine theconditions under which the SANDFwas redeploying on South Africa'sborders.

Led by the Chairperson, MrMnyamezeli Shedrack Booi, thePortfolio Committee took road tripsalong the borders at Zimbabwe-Musina (Limpopo), Mozambique-Macadamia (Mpumalanga), andMozambique-Muzi (KwaZulu-Natal).During the road trips it became clearthat the decision to return responsibili-ty for borderline control to the SANDFwas of crucial importance and neces-sary for national security.

The Portfolio Committee members

T

The SANDF returns to border control

were confronted by the challenges thatlay ahead in the SANDF's return toborderline control. The facilitiesaround the borders are in a dire state.The fence is currently riddled withholes as a result of forced entry by ille-gal immigrants. Deployment quartersin some areas need to be renovated,and the limited amount of patrolequipment is another area of concernfor the SANDF as it resumes this duty.

The Portfolio Committee on Defencewas joined by the Minister of Defenceand Military Veterans, Ms LindiweSisulu, on the second day. Ms Sisulu

The SANDF is currentlyfinalising an operationalplan to ensure that iteffectively secures theborders.

South African soldiers patrolling the borderline fence betweenSouth Africa and Zimbabwe in the Musina area.

reiterated: "This is a major pro-gramme. The infrastructure is not thebest it can be, the fence is not in agood state, we have over 2 000 km ofborders to look after and that requiresboth financial technology and humanresources, but we are up to the taskand I am confident that many SouthAfricans are happy that their troopsare back on the border."

The SANDF is currently finalising anoperational plan to ensure that iteffectively secures the borders. Thisplan will be rolled out in phases dueto budgetary constraints.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:12

47


M A Y 2 0 1 1 s

By Cpl Tebogo Kekana, Ad Astra (anextract of what was published in SASoldier: July 2010, page 18)Photo: WO2 David Nomtshongwana

ourteen African heads of stateand other foreign dignitaries,including the Secretary-General of the United Nations,Mr Ban Ki-moon, arrived atAir Force Base Waterkloof in

Pretoria between 10 and 13 June 2010.

The key aim of their visit was to attendthe opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFAWorld Cup held at Soccer City Stadiumin Johannesburg. The ChiefAdministrator of the United Nationswas welcomed at the air force base bythe Deputy Director General of theDepartment of International Relationsand Co-operation, Ambassador SontoKudjoe.

Ambassador Kudjoe said: "Feel it, it ishere! As a host country, we had to beprepared to accommodate our visitorsand safeguard our stadiums. TheSANDF has done well and I amimpressed with the Waterkloof militarybase. South Africa has indeed set agood example for the rest of the conti-nent."

The base is home to transport aircraft,

F

SA Air Force welcomes international leaders

and is at present hosting two types offighter aircraft of Air Force BaseMakhado, namely the Gripen and theHawk. The two squadrons flew in tobe centrally positioned during theFIFA World Cup. The base will beused for both air transport and airdefence over this period.

The SA Air Force will safeguard stadi-ums and airspace in support of thePolice, the Department of Agricultureand the South African RevenueServices during this history-making

Feel it, it is here! As ahost country, we had tobe prepared to accom-modate our visitors andsafeguard our stadiums.

The President of Congo Brazzaville, Mr Dennis Sassou-Nguesso,at Air Force Base Waterkloof on 10 June 2010. He is accompaniedby Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, the Minister of Defence and MilitaryVeterans.

event. The Government has given itthe mandate to ensure the safest andmost memorable FIFA World Cupever.

The Officer Commanding Air ForceBase Waterkloof, Brig Gen TebogoMadumane, said he was proud to beentrusted with the task and directlyinvolved in making the World Cup asuccess. He proudly told Ad Astrathat he was glad to be alive at a timelike this, because it might never happen again.

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:12

soldMay11.qxp 2011/05/23 11:12

letters to the editor s a s o l d i e r - dod.mil.zadod.mil.za/sasoldier/2011/soldmay11net.pdf ·...

Documents