Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Insurance giant Old Mutual has continued to nurture its cooperation with one of its biggest clients, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), by donating R10 000 to be spent on troops outside the country's borders.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony in Pretoria today, Daniel Brodie of Old Mutual said the aim of the donation was to support soldiers on peacekeeping missions in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He also said the donation was aimed at enhancing the long-standing relationship with SANDF.

Mr Brodie said the money was "to illustrate the support to the deployed soldiers outside the South African borders. This also shows that Old Mutual Group Scheme cares for them".

"It is entirely up to the SANDF to decide on how they are going to spend the money," he explained.

The SANDF has said that it would use the money for its "Goodwill Parcels Project", which presents these soldiers with a care package, containing various items each year over the festive period.

It will also be used to fund visits for the troops.

Accepting the donation, SANDF Chief General Siphiwe Nyanda conveyed his gratitude for the donation in "support of the efforts being made by the SANDF, Burundi and the DRC".

"This would show the soldiers that we are proud of them and that we are quiet happy that other people appreciate the work being done by the SANDF to maintain peace and security in Africa," he explained.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has rejected reports suggesting that two of its employees have died of the fatal mad cow disease (MCD).

The department said over the past two years, two cases were alleged to have been of the disease, "however, after tests and investigations this was found not to be true."

The first case occurred in 2002 when a patient began to exhibit some symptoms.

With the private sector unable to make a diagnosis, the patient was referred to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria that made the diagnosis as Creutzfeld Jakob Disease (CJD).

In the most recent case a patient died last week after showing CJD symptoms.

Upon examination, a private doctor diagnosed the patient as having had a stroke. She was evaluated by the military hospital and also diagnosed with CJD.

"The Department of Defence confirms that no patient in the military environment has died or been diagnosed with MCD," it affirmed.

The department said CJD was a deadly brain illness that affects about one person per million per year, and was therefore a rare disease and only diagnosed where countries had high-level diagnostic surveillance.

It said Mad Cow Disease typically affects youth patients and has a course lasting up to several years whereas CJD has a much more aggressive course.

The SA Army Armour Formation has received the last of the 80 Rooikat [Lynx] armoured cars improved during a two-year, multi-million rand upgrade programme, Boksburg-based armoured vehicle manufacturer Alvis OMC said on Tuesday [4 May].

The cost of the contract, awarded by the Department of Defence's contracting agency, Armscor, was not disclosed.

"The maintenance and upgrade programme included Rooikat vehicles sold to the SANDF (SA National Defence Force) as early as 1989 and will ensure that they remain operable for many years to come," Alvis OMC programmes director Roelof Blignaut said in a statement.

"This significant programme reflects both the SA Army's commitment to the continued and cost-effective upgrade of its armoured vehicle fleet and confirms the upgrade and maintenance capability at Alvis OMC," he said.

The upgrade encompassed all aspects of the vehicle except the turrets, which were to be upgraded by Denel's LIW subsidiary.

The upgrade of the SANDF's remaining Rooikat vehicles was expected to continue in the future, the statement read.

The Rooikat programme follows upgrade programmes in recent years for other SANDF armoured vehicles including Ratel infantry combat vehicles, Mamba mine protected vehicles and Olifant main battle tanks.

Alvis OMC is 75 per cent owned by the British Alvis group, itself currently being taken over by US defence giant, General Dynamics.

The 8x8 Rooikat weighs 28 tons and has a crew of four. A total of 242 were built. It is armed with a GT-4, 76mm, 62-calibre high-pressure gun based on an Italian naval design and has a on-road top speed of 120 km/h. Its cross-country speed is 50 km/h and its range is 1,000 km. It can ford water 1.5m deep, cross ditches 2m wide and climb vertical obstacles 1m high.

Efforts from the 1990s to the present to sell the vehicle abroad have failed.

The Rooikat is designed for combat reconnaissance which entails aggressive seek and destroy operations. Its secondary roles are fire support, anti-armour and anti-guerrilla operations.

Lessons from African wars: implications for the SANDF.(South African National Defence Force)

Publication: Strategic Review for Southern Africa

Publication Date: 01-MAY-04

Management and command in the SANDF: changing priorities.(South African National Defence Force )

Publication: Strategic Review for Southern Africa

Publication Date: 01-MAY-04