Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

South Africa's peacekeeping missions in Africa got boosted on Tuesday as the government announced more money would be put in operations in coming years.

The Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, said that Defense and Intelligence's revised estimate for the 2005/06 financial year is 25.4 billion rand (3.85 billion US dollars), and will increase to 29.1 billion rand (4.41 billion dollars) by the 2008/09 financial year.

A large contingent of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) troops, often operating under the United Nations or African Union banner, are deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire and other African countries.

Troops on the ground, however, have expressed concern over stretched supply lines and shortages of key equipment considered vital in carrying out their operations in areas often devoid of basic infrastructure.

"Plans to modernize and improve the combat readiness of the SANDF to fulfill its constitutional mandate will be strengthened by additional allocations in the 2006 MTEF (Medium-Term Expenditure Framework)," the MTBPS said.

South Africa will soon be counted among the heavy weights in defence following the latest acquisition of state-of-the-art A109 Agusta Light Utility Helicopters.

The Department of Defence received four of the 30 acquired helicopters from Augusta, Italy, here yesterday, replacing the ageing Alouette III fleet.

By 2007, the SA Air Force (SAAF) would have acquired a complete fleet of the new acquired state-of-the-art helicopters.

The new machines were tested here in South Africa to see if they were adaptable to all weather conditions.

The department said the helicopters would be used for search and rescue operations and sometimes in operations conducted by the police.

Receiving the new helicopters, Secretary of Defence January Masilela said the acquisition was part of a broader plan to revamp the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

"We felt there was a need for the country to acquire new and advanced machines to defend and protect the country."

This is part of our broader plan to ensure that the defence force was well equipped, he said.

The new aircraft can be operated in all kinds of weather including day and night. They are also fitted with advanced state-of-the-art communications systems.

The acquisition of the helicopters, including submarines and corvettes, is part of the arms deal that was approved by Cabinet in 2001.

In terms of the deal, the SANDF will acquire four corvettes, three submarines, 30 utility helicopters, 24 Hawk lead-in fighter trainers and 28 Gripen advanced fighter aircraft.

ARMS manufacturer Denel conceded yesterday it had understated last year's losses of R850m by almost 50%, attributing the discrepancy to "unexpected expenditures" .

Denel has been technically insolvent for more than a year, and has been surviving on a R1bn government guarantee for its funding requirements since July. It has also asked the state for another R5bn lifeline.

Denel's financial quagmire has been further aggravated by reports from India that crucial contracts entered into with that government will be scrapped due to alleged "irregularities".

CEO Shaun Liebenberg told Parliament's public enterprises portfolio committee yesterday that the arms company's annual report had been delayed to address the shortcomings.

Last year's loss was initially budgeted at R381m (2003: R377,5m), but was later pushed to R850m. Yesterday the parastatal put last year's losses at R1,6bn and predicted a R700m loss for this year.

Although the audited results will be released only in mid-November, Denel is expected to record revenue of R3,8bn (2003: R4,4bn). The financial statements will be qualified, however.

Liebenberg said unexpected expenditures included retrenchment and labour costs of R50m, financial instrument readjustments of R37m, the call-up of the R64m performance guarantee on the Indian arms contract, a R54m pension fund provision and legal costs of R25m.

A lack of orders in a globally contracting defence industry meant it was currently using only 20% of capacity and was utilising cash more quickly than it was generating income, he said.

"Denel is under tremendous pressure from a balance sheet point of view.

"It is facing a funding crisis, and there is significant risk associated with current financial projections," Liebenberg said.

It would cost about R8bn to close down Denel because of penalties and advance payments on existing contracts.

Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin's special adviser Ian Phillips said government was committed to the survival of Denel in those areas where it supplied strategic equipment to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF. It was not necessary for Denel to make money out of supplying these security needs, Phillips said.

International and local equity partners would be sought to provide capital, technology and markets in each of Denel's unbundled technology clusters.

Liebenberg said that the arms company would sell equity stakes of between 30%-70%, but that it would always keep a golden share to ensure it retained its intellectual property rights.

The commercial viability of each of Denel's business units would be evaluated to determine whether they could be turned around or should be closed.

Time frames were in place as to when decisions should be made, with the turnaround strategy expected to be completed in the next three to four years, Liebenberg said.

Unless certain contracts were secured within the next six to 12 months, Denel would be forced to quit some of its businesses, Liebenberg said.

A decision would be taken in the next six months on whether to limit the Rooivalk operation to servicing the SANDF's 12 aircraft, or whether to continue marketing it internationally.

The Swartklip munitions facility could be closed.

Liebenberg would not give details on the number of employees that are facing possible retrenchment.

The South African Air Force received the first four of 30 new Agusta light utility helicopters (LUH) on Wednesday to replace its ageing Alouette III fleet.

This is the first certified product to be taken into service by the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) delivered under the controversial multi-billion rand arms deal signed in 2000.

Receiving the helicopters at the Bloemspruit air base, Bloemfontein, Chief of the Air Force Lieut-Gen Carlo Gagiano said the new rotorcraft would make an enhanced contribution to the operational capabilities of the SANDF.

"Regional deployments have however placed new demands on the SANDF and it has become more difficult to meet operational requirements with the current Alouette III capability," he said.

Speaking on behalf of deputy defence minister Moleleki George, Secretary of Defence January Masileka said the new aircraft would help the government to support its people with search and rescue, law enforcement and the preparation of operational readiness of the SANDF.

"(It)... would further enable government to participate more effectively in support of NEPAD initiatives, including the work of the African Union and contributing to the African standby force," he said.

Chairman of Armscor Popo Molefe said the company, as the acquisition agency for the Department of Defence, was proud to present the finished product to the SAAF.

"This is the most advanced light utility helicopter in the world. We are satisfied that the helicopter will perform to your specifications," he said.

According to the SAAF the first eight pilots could start their training on the new helicopter in February 2006 at 87 Helicopter Flying School in Bloemfontein.

This would include two black and two female pilots.

Gagiano said there was great excitement about the new aircraft.

The Alouette III has been in use as a LUH in the SAAF since 1962.

"The new aircraft is a more-than-worthy replacement," said Gagiano.

The new Agusta A109 LUH helicopter will among other things provide the SAAF with an better all weather single pilot aircraft, a better night capacity that includes night vision goggles operation, better aircraft performance, more advance avionics and communication.

The air force will have received the first eight to 10 by yearend.

Delivery will then take place at a rate of one a month.

In terms of South Africa's other arms deal acquisitions, it was expected that the first SAAF Gripen aircraft would roll off the production line in Sweden on October 28.

"The Hawk aircraft are due to be handed over to the Chief of SA Air Force in April 2006 for the first operational training course to commence," Masileka said.

He said the first corvette for the SA Navy was approaching completion of its combat suite integration and could be handed to the navy in February 2006.

The first submarine is to be commissioned in Germany on November 3 and will be handed over to the navy on the same day.

Major military hospital on critical list, MPs find Parliamentary Editor CAPE TOWN The state hospital that would care for President Thabo Mbeki should he fall ill is falling apart at the seams, a parliamentary oversight visit to No 1 Military Hospital has found.

The hospital, situated in the Thabo Tshwane military enclave, provides medical care to the president and deputy president, former presidents, former deputy presidents and foreign dignitaries in addition to members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and their families.

Parliament's defence committee found in August this year that there were major cracks in the walls and holes in the ceilings, and that paint was peeling off the walls and the ceilings. Also, ceilings and window panes were missing, bathrooms did not have taps and tiles, sleeping quarters did not have curtains, cupboards or chairs and sometimes were also missing tables.

This poor state of the facilities impacted negatively on morale and therefore the performance of the personnel (patients, staff and learners), Parliament's study found.

In addition, the defence committee's draft report says some of the maintenance backlog represented occupational health and safety risks which are impediments to training, accommodation and the provisioning of proper medical care to patients in the case of No 1 Military Hospital.

The report is still considered to be a draft and has to be endorsed by the full defence committee before being sent to the National Assembly.

Parliament has promised its commitment to oversight will increase as its legislative burden slows down. Many of its committees have been visiting institutions in their fields to see how they are being run.

The committee recommended institutions such as No 1 Military Hospital be funded in a manner which would allow it to maintain its image and output as an international service provider.

The hospital, designated to treat United Nations peacekeepers as well, has resorted to accommodating foreign students and visiting defence force members in private guest houses to save the image of the SANDF.

The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for urgent action to address alleged sexual misconduct of some South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops serving with the UN peacekeeping force in DR Congo.

This follows a UN revelation that members of the South African military in DR Congo were linked to over a quarter of the sexual misconduct complaints made against foreign military personnel, though the SANDF did not have the largest number of troops in the country.

DA Defence spokesperson Rafeek Shah said of the 95 military personnel investigated on allegations of sexual misconduct in DR Congo, 30 belong to the SANDF.

"This constitutes 32 percent of the total number. Among the 30 South African members under investigation, allegations against eight have been substantiated so far, representing about 26 percent of all substantiated cases," Shah said Monday in a statement issued here.

He also spoke of four new allegations involving seven members of the SANDF peacekeeping contingent that are yet to be investigated.

Shah charged that the United Nations was also investigating a bag of gemstones linked to the SANDF that was found in a safe on the South African contingent base in Kinshasa, the DR Congo capital.

"Unlicensed trade or possession of such gemstones is highly illegal both in DR Congo and South Africa," the DA official added.

He urged on government to urgently discipline those implicated in both the sexual misconduct and gemstones cases to prevent damage to South Africa's reputation and undermine the good work of the majority of SANDF members in the DR Congo.

South Africa's troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were demoralised, one of their commanders told a group of visiting parliamentarians on Friday.

Apart from problems with the payment of allowances and the replacement of old tents in the field, stretched supply lines were making logistics difficult, complained national contingent commander Colonel Zukile Mpapela.

"Some of my troops are 2,000km from me and it takes a month to get critical equipment to them," he said

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) procurement policy was also hampering his division's effectiveness.

Mapela said he was making these points because the committee "has the power to open the purses".

Anything South Africa spent was reimbursed by the United Nations (UN), he said. Conditions were hard at the best of times without having to fight for supplies.

Parliament's committee on defence, which is in the DRC on an oversight mission, visited the UN base in Kindu, where South Africa's troops have seen action against armed militias opposed to the transitional government of Joseph Kabila.

"The area is densely forested with ambush risks," Mpapela told them, adding that the few dirt roads were also often impassable during the rainy season.

Mapela said that while his combat soldiers were deployed as a rapid reaction force in hot-spots, his engineers were responsible for building airfields at Goma and Beni, and maintaining ferry and water purification operations.

Their main objectives were to stop the killing and facilitate political transition of the DRC.

Defending allegations of sexual misconduct against his troops, Mapela said: "Any relationship with the Congolese is termed sexual exploitation and abuse just because we have dollars in our pockets and they have nothing."

The UN told the parliamentarians on Wednesday that the SANDF had committed 26 percent of all substantiated sexual misconduct claims in the DRC.

The UN had since imposed a 6pm curfew for soldiers to be back in barracks and was advocating celibacy for all troops in the DRC.

South Africa needed to review its policies to avoid clashing with the UN over the fraternising of troops with the local population, said the leader of the parliamentary committee, Mnyamezeli Booi.

He said the White Paper on peacekeeping was also being reviewed to avoid creating a demoralised force.

"If we as politicians don't familiarise ourselves with the problems and the policies, then we will be destroying our own force and get shouted at from the people back home," he said.

The South African military operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is responsible for 26 percent of sexual misconduct complaints against the UN peacekeeping force in the country.

Nicola Dahrendorf, UN director of the office for addressing sexual exploitation and abuse, said of the 95 accusations levelled at foreign military personnel, 30 were against SA National Defence Force troops.

"Eight were substantiated and repatriated back to South Africa," she said noting this was a total of 26 percent of all accusations.

These figures, however, did not include a further four cases involving seven South African soldiers who were alleged to have committed sexual misconduct crimes after September.

"These must be substantiated," she said, explaining that of those already proven guilty, one was a warrant officer and six were non-commissioned officers.

Dahrendorf was briefing members of the SA parliamentary defence committee who are in Kinshasa, the DRC on an oversight visit.

Accompanying the committee, Lieutenant-General Sipho Binda (chief of joint operations) said the SANDF took these allegations very seriously.

However, he cautioned that what was construed as sexual misconduct in the DRC may not be seen as such on home soil.

United Nations force commander General Babacar Geye voiced his concern at the high number of SANDF troops involved in the crimes.

"With 26 percent of allegations levelled against them, there is a concern. We must be honest and frank," he said.

He noted that the SANDF contingent was not even the largest military force in the country.

Dahrendorf cited chronic social and economic imbalances as the leading contributor to the problem.

She said that as most of the Congolese had nothing, the foreign military operatives appeared to be very wealthy to them and therefore created an immediate imbalance.

But she pointed out that of the sexually violent crimes committed in the DRC, only 0.9 percent of allegations were against civilians and 0.1 percent against military forces.

She said in a country where sexual violence was a great part of daily life, women often bore the brunt of atrocities committed by alleged freedom fighters.

Briefing the committee members, UN secretary-general representative William Lacy-Swing said, however, that the SA contribution to the peacekeeping efforts in the country was invaluable.

"The contribution of South Africa is extremely important," he said, also appreciating President Thabo Mbeki's personal interest.

"His support has been very solid," he said.

He told committee members that while there were many challenges in the DRC he was still very optimistic that elections would go ahead next year.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has put a female navy captain in charge of the integration of forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Captain Sonica van Rooyen, 42, will head the South African Detachment Assisting with Integration and Training -- also known as Teutonic 1.

The operation aims to integrate the DRC's regular army and rebel military forces -- using the experience South Africa gleaned from the integration of its own SANDF ten years ago.

Eighty-three times larger than neighbour Burundi and 24 times bigger than Liberia, the civil war has left the DRC with no infrastructure.

Naval officers were not normally associated with work in a country like the DRC, said Van Rooyen.

"I am very excited, but very nervous. For a naval officer this is an absolute first," she said.

It was an opportunity to show the rest of the SANDF that the navy could also contribute to the mission in the DRC.

During her year-long deployment, Van Rooyen will have to overcome historical mistrust between the regular Congolese army and rebel groups that have spent the last 45 years fighting.

"I am going to tackle that problem by being as open as possible. It will be extremely important to be visible and supportive. All will know what we are doing and why we are doing it," she said.

She and her husband Frank -- also a naval captain -- had agreed that the opportunity was a career and life-enhancing experience, said Van Rooyen.

While she would miss him, her mere presence in the military made it her duty to serve her country and go where she was sent.

She was, nonetheless, proud to have been chosen and recognised what her deployment could mean for the image of women in general.

"It was not my intention to prove a point for women, but yes, if I do make a success of it, then it will be a positive thing not only for the women in the SANDF but also for women from the DRC," she said.

Women often had a different way of thinking and doing things, and in a place like the DRC this was possibly a good thing, she said.

Stationed in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, Van Rooyen said she was more than ready to begin her command.

"While I have never been to the DRC before, I have travelled Africa and am comfortable with Africa. It does not scare me it calls me."

About 7500 soldiers, airmen, sailors and medics are deployed in the Northern Cape and Free State for the largest military exercise in South Africa since 1986, the SA National Defence Force said on Thursday.

Exercise Indlovu will put a maritime task force of six ships through its paces off Port Nolloth from October 9 to 18.

Later in the month, troops will partake in the main annual conventional landward force preparation exercise at Lohatlha.

This will last from October 21 to 27, the SANDF said in a statement.

Then, from November 9 to 11, land and air forces will train at De Brug, near Bloemfontein.

The exercise, that aims to ensure the continued readiness of the SANDF to perform its primary role of defending the sovereignty of the country, winds down on November 16.

"A mission-ready National Defence Force is key if the Department of Defence is to succeed in fulfilling its constitutional role to defend the country as well as supporting government diplomatic initiatives to help eradicate conflicts in the region...," the SANDF said.

Up to 30 aircraft will also take part in the exercise.

The SA National Defence Force has destroyed or sold numerous tanks, aircraft and ships in the last year, a recent report to Parliament reveals.

Since August 2003 the SANDF has destroyed 14 Olifant Mk1A main battle tanks and 14 Rooikat armoured cars. Fourteen more are up for sale, a briefing to the Parliamentary defence portfolio committee reveals.

Also destroyed were two strike craft, the SAS Shaka and SAS Sekukhuni, two Ton-class minesweepers -- SAS Kimberley and Windhoek -- and the submarine SAS Spear.

According to another briefing, the Shaka was destroyed in April by an Exocet anti-ship missile, during a test to check the working of the combat systems of South Africa's new patrol corvettes.

The scrap value of the two minesweepers was R64,000.

Also reduced to scrap were an undisclosed number of World War Two-era 5.5 inch field guns, now mostly seen in museum.

The SAS Jan Smuts was luckier: the hulk was sold for R50,000.

The former supply ship SAS Outeniqua was sold as a "going concern" and earned the state R40 million.

In another sale, 354 Ratel infantry fighting vehicles were sold for R1.1 million. Another 120 could be sold later.

In a further economy, 100 Mk1 35mm GDF anti-aircraft cannon were sold for US500,000.

In total, the state received just over R183 million from the sale of redundant stock and equipment, including R64,000 for 2300 old parachutes.

Still up for sale are 80 1970s-vintage Eland armoured cars, 117 20mm and 32 23mm anti aircraft guns and 24 14.5mm machine guns.

The SA Army also donated 450 SA Military (Samil) trucks to Uganda, in addition to selling 837 for R31.9 million and putting another 837 forward for disposal.

Away from prying eyes, and with very little publicity, the SA National Defence Force has in the last year substantially increased its capabilities.

According to state arms agency Armscor's latest annual report, the SA Army's air defence artillery has at last joined the missile age, with the delivery of a batch of British Starstreak man-portable very short-range air defence systems (Manpads).

And in August the Department of Defence's acquisition division told Parliament's defence committee the SAS Amatola had some months before blown a strike craft out of the water with an Exocet anti-ship missile.

The department said the missile, the first of the type fired by the SA Navy, was launched at the decommissioned hulk of the former strike craft SAS Shaka on April 22.

Calling the event "historic", the military said the ship "was the smallest target ever engaged by an Exocet missile".

The Exocets were acquired as part of "Project Sitron", which has already seen South Africa take delivery of four German-built Meko A200SAN patrol corvettes.

According to reports, an initial 17 missiles were acquired, one for testing and the rest to parcel out among the ships.

The US Federation of American Scientists (FAS) says Exocet's development started in 1967.

The ship-launched variant entered service in 1975.

Air-launched, land-based and submarine versions are also in service, but not in South Africa.

The missile is designed to attack large warships.

An upgraded version came into service in the 1990s and introduced an improved digital active radar seeker and upgraded inertial navigation and control electronics.

The Exocet has four clipped delta wings at mid-body and four raked clipped-tip moving delta control fins at the rear.

The missile is 4.7m long, has a body diameter of 350mm and a wingspan of 1.1m. The missile weighs 670kg and has a 165kg HE shaped charge fragmentation warhead. Guidance in the mid-course phase is inertial, followed by an active radar terminal phase.

There is also a radar altimeter to control the sea-skimming trajectory, at around 10m until the terminal phase when, in calm sea conditions, the missile can descend to 3m or so.

The solid propellant motor gives Exocet a range of about 50km.

The Starstreak acquisition is part of the first phase of a larger ground based air defence systems (Gbads) programme.

The first phase comprises one battery of man-portable SAMs and an Thales/Denel radar-based early warning and command system.

It is not clear what a battery's worth of missiles amount to.

The word "battery" is a relative term and could indicate six or eight systems and perhaps even more -- or less.

A picture in the Armscor 2004/5 Annual Report shows a launch pedestal with sights and three missile tubes, indicating a likelihood that between 18 and 24 missiles were purchased.

The Starstreak 1.39m-long, 270mm diameter missile has a speed of Mach 3+ and was designed to counter threats from very high performance, low flying, aircraft and fast attack helicopters.

It is a threat to any aircraft within 300m to 5000m of the launcher.

The missile is boosted to maximum velocity by a two-stage propulsion system at which point three darts, each with an impact fuze, are released and are guided on to the target by the operator, the FAS reports.

In November 2002 Armscor announced the price of the three-year programme was R796,700,389.

A further phase of the Gbads programme could include a land-based version of the Umkhonto and more command-and-control systems.

Denel was in 2004 hopeful either the Army or the Air Force would generate a requirement and fund the systems development.

In its latest incarnation, a containerised vertical-launch version of Umkhonto was on display at Africa Aerospace & Defence in September 2004.

The 12-tube system showed to the public rotated 90 degrees to allow reloading from the side.

A naval Umkhonto, ordered by the SA and Finnish Navies is currently being operationalised at Denel's Overberg test range.

To date no shipboard launches had been undertaken as the system is not yet certified that it can do it safely. Such tests are expected at year-end.

"Over the water" tests have taken place and a target drone knocked from the sky during an successful intercept in June.

According to a report released at the British DSEi defence show in September, the trials consisted of engagements with the Skua high speed target drone flying profiles that included low-level ingress, head-on aspect angles and evasive manoeuvres.

Denel Aerospace Systems general manager Jan Wessels was quoted as saying: "Although we were more than satisfied with these trials involving telemetry-equipped missiles, it was deemed important to launch the Umkhonto missile with a standard warhead against Skua."

According to Wessels, all objectives of the flight trials were met.

The Umkhonto is to act as the Meko corvettes' primary defensive weapon against sea-skimming missiles and other aerial threats.

It features a vertical launch capability from a concentric launch canister, which, together with the autonomous thrust-vector flight control of the missile, provides 360° cover.

The system can launch eight or more missiles at different targets at the same time, the report claimed.