Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

A member of the SA National Defence Force will appear on charges of murder and rape before a Court of a Military Judge in Bujumbura, Burundi on Saturday.

The SANDF said in a statement on Friday that Sergeant Philipus Jacobus Venter was arrested on October 1 2004 for the alleged murder and rape of a woman in Bujumbura in September that year.

He also faces charges of obstructing of justice, assault and absence without leave.

The case is expected to go on until March 9.

All fourth year nursing students at the SA Military Health Service Nursing College have been sent to an Army base in the Northern Cape for two weeks of disciplinary training.

The group includes 31 students, all lieutenants in the Military Health Service, arrested this week for allegedly disobeying orders.

They were taken into custody by military police at the SA Military Health Service Training Formation, in Thaba Tshwane, on Wednesday and appeared in a military court the next day.

They were released after their appearance and will be back in court on March 20.

Spokesman Major Danny Shibambo would not comment on Thursday on the nature of the lawful command the students, from the SA Military Health Service Nursing College, were alleged to have disobeyed.

He would only say they were charged with disobeying a lawful command as contemplated by section 19(2) of the Military Disciplinary Code.

But The Star newspaper reported on Friday the group of officers refused to form a guard of honour for the Gabonese surgeon-general who is in the country visiting his South African counterpart, Lieutenant-General Vijay Ramlakan.

The nurses said that according to the SANDF's drill manual officers cannot form part of the body of a guard of honour, it is their task to command it.

The paper also reported that the arrested officers, who were detained in a detention barracks after their arrest, were all black.

It unusual for officers to be placed in a detention barracks. Traditionally officers are confined to their quarters under an age-old honour system.

Six white colleagues, who also refused to form part of the guard, were reportedly not arrested.

The Star reported that the black fourth year nursing students believed this was racist.

Ramlakan later on Friday rejected this charge and backed the action of Brigadier-General Lulu Siwisa, the general officer commanding of the military health formation, who had ordered the arrest.

He said the officers not charged were not resident at the college and had therefore not formed part of the squad that had disobeyed the lawful command.

"I therefore fully support the course of action taken by (Siwisa) who herself underwent the same military nursing training as the students concerned."

The entire group, including the students not charged, have now been sent to the SA Arm Combat Training Centre at Lohatlha for remedial disciplinary training, Ramlakan added.

"Due to an apparent failure to appreciate the principles of military discipline and the understanding of command and control in the military on the part of the students concerned, the Surgeon General has decided to institute corrective measures by providing remedial military training to all students of the fourth stage learners of the Nursing College in the aspects of soldiering life skills and discipline in the military," a statement containing Ramlakan's comments added.

A concerned parent criticised Ramlakan's move, saying the students ought to b attending to their studies.

Police, army out in force for poll Hopewell Radebe Deputy Political Editor GOVERNMENT has promised a massive deployment of 60000 police officers to ensure the local government elections next week are free and fair.

Safety and security Minister Charles Nqakula said all 18791 polling stations would be protected and in some areas the police would be backed up by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

This entails infantry and paratroopers as well as fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters on standby in all nine provinces, Nqakula said in a statement yesterday.

Government has little choice but to prepare a serious response after threats of violence towards voters in Khutsong by people protesting against the transfer of their municipality to North West from Gauteng, as well as the assassination of seven candidates from a range of parties in KwaZulu-Natal. Nqakula said security preparations for the elections involved regular meetings among police, the home affairs department, the SANDF, the intelligence community, provincial and local government departments, and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

There is consensus that no potential disruptions to elections are expected. Even in Khutsong, we are confident that adequate police have been deployed to ensure conditions for safety and security, including IEC staff and their resources, Nqakula said.

With elections around the corner, there have been a number of assassinations of candidates for the African National Congress (ANC), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the National Democratic Convention (Nadeco). All parties are pointing fingers at each other, citing intimidation against their campaigners and candidates.

The IFP says it has lost six members, while others have been seriously wounded in shootings this month.

Provincial IFP spokesman S'bu Nkwanyana said that while the party was outraged by the situation, its local leaders would work with communities to ensure the electioneering was peaceful.

Local government MEC Mike Mabuyakhulu said candidates had been harassed, attacked and killed. An ANC candidate was killed in Nongoma, Ladysmith's mayor was shot at in Escourt and a house of a Nadeco candidate was razed.

The provincial government has undertaken to help the IEC to once again deliver credible elections, Mabuyakhulu said.

Three hundred South African soldiers are returning from Burundi this week, after completing their protection mission in that country, the defence ministry said on Friday.

Spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members were deployed in Burundi in October 2001 to protect political leaders and were returning home ahead of the inauguration of the transitional government.

They were deployed in Burundi as the SA Protection and Support Detachment.

The Burundi peace mission was subsequently taken over by the African Union, whose mandate for the protection force expired this month.

The VIP protectors started arriving back in South Africa on Thursday.

One hundred and thirty arrived on Thursday at the Waterkloof air base and the second group of 85 members arrived on Friday. The last group of 85 is expected on Saturday.

"The return of the South African soldiers could well be regarded as the first step in the conclusion of the Burundi peace process," said Mkhwanazi.

The process began with the deployment of troops who were later joined by their counterparts from Mozambique and Ethiopia.

North Rand police were on Thursday looking for a South African soldier who went missing with his eight-year-old daughter two days ago.

Spokeswoman Cynthia Kleinhans said Ezekiel Mnisi, 42, and his daughter Basetsana Flora Mnisi, 8, were last seen leaving their home in Ivory Park on Tuesday.

Mnisi, who is a member of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) in Pretoria, told his wife that morning that he was going to work, but did not have his uniform on as usual.

He never arrived at work and Basetsana never got to school.

Kleinhans said the two were last seen driving in a metallic-grey Volkswagen Jetta, registration HKR 112 GP.

Mnisi is described as tall and was last seen wearing a blue Adidas T-shirt, khaki trousers and Hi-Tec running shoes.

He has a scar next to one of his ears and speaks Zulu and English.

Basetsana was wearing blue dungarees, a yellow shirt and a blue jersey at the time of her disappearance. She had on black shoes with yellow socks.

She speaks Sotho, Zulu and English.

Kleinhans asked anybody with information about their whereabouts to contact Inspector Sampie Mathole at the Ivory Park Police Station on 011-310-3693 or 083-993-3297.

An SA National Defence Force (SANDF) staff sergeant killed his girlfriend then himself with a stolen rifle, Limpopo police said on Wednesday.

Spokesman Captain Mushudu Malero said the 42-year-old soldier stole an R4 rifle from the SANDF base in Polokwane on Tuesday and then took it to his girlfriend's house in Tshitekereke, Thohoyandou, about 200km away.

His colleagues learned of the theft and travelled to the homestead to arrest him.

When they told him he was under arrest, he asked that he be allowed to change into long trousers before leaving with them.

He went inside the house, but then walked outside again and opened fire with the rifle, shooting randomly.

The soldiers took cover in a nearby mielie field, but his girlfriend was shot eight times and died.

He ran into the mielie field and escaped.

Malero said the soldiers then warned the sergeant's wife that her life could be in danger, so when he went to his homestead he found it deserted.

He then proceeded to his in-laws' homestead and found nobody there either.

Neighbours alerted the authorities that he was there but when they arrived they found him dead inside the house, with a bullet wound to his forehead, and the stolen rifle lying next to him.

Police were not immediately aware of the motive for his actions, but a murder investigation and an inquest is underway.

With these words to the chief of the South African Navy, Captain David Jamieson took command of SAS Amatola, the state-of-the-art frigate delivered into the hands of the SANDF and then the Navy yesterday from the South Africa-European consortium that built it.

The brand new fighting ship, said to be the most advanced warship in the world today, is the first ship to be designed to the particular needs of the South African Navy, says Rear Admiral Johnny Kamerman, the director of Project SITRON, under which another three "Frigates Small Guided", also known as Corvettes, are to be delivered to the Navy.

Previously, the Navy used ships with "hand me down" designs suited for other navies in the world, Rear Admiral Kamerman said yesterday at the Navy's Simonstown base.

The Navy, he said, was "over the moon" with the ship, which had its platforms built in Germany while 75 percent of its combat systems were designed and built by over 20 South African companies, much to the pride of the Navy and the National Defence Force.

That combat system - described by a Royal Navy team as "the best frigate combat system afloat today" - was further enhanced by design that Project SITRON went "to great lengths" to make as stealthy as possible, said Rear Admiral Kamerman.

The SAS Amatola, the first of four frigates bought by government as part of the Strategic Defence Package sealed several years ago, was received by the SANDF at a signing ceremony at Simonstown attended by a number of military top brass, political principals and representatives of the European-South African Corvette Consortium.

These included the chief of the SA Navy, Vice-Admiral Johannes Mudimu, the chief of the National Defence Force, General Godfrey Ngwenya, Defence Secretary, January Masilela, representatives of Armscor as well as the Minister of Public Enterprises, Alec Erwin, the Minister of Defence, Mosiuoa Lekota and the First Lady, Zanele Mbeki.

It was Mrs Mbeki who named the first of the MEKO A200-class frigates the SAS Amatola, in 2002 in Germany when the ship's platform (not it combat suite) was completed, and she was the first dignitary to board the ship and sign its visitor's book yesterday, as the "godmother" of the most modern warship in the world today.

Amatola is taken from a famous battle in 1852 in the Eastern Cape led by Chief Maqoma, where "valour was shown on both sides", according to the ship's commander, Captain Jamieson, adding that it was this that inspired the ship's insignia, an axe and a feather.

The other three Valour-Class Patrol Corvettes, already delivered but due to have combat systems completed later this year, are named the SAS Isandlwana, SAS Spioenkop and SAS Mendi.

With enough power on board to light up the city of East London, the 121-metre SAS Amatola can travel at a speed of 30 knots on the high seas, stop at a distance only three times its length - quicker than a vessel eight times smaller - and can carry around 500 refugees in a humanitarian operation.

At the same time, the ship is also designed for electronic warfare such as radar jamming, and has electro-optic missile and gun systems that include surface-to-surface missiles, uMkhonto surface-to-air missiles, a 76 mm gun weapon and two 20mm cannon, along with another 35mm dual purpose gun and decoy rocket launchers for defensive tactics.

It carries up to 120 crew and is designed to accommodate several different helicopters, including two maritime Lynx day-and-night helicopters at one time, or one Lynx helicopter with two drone UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) or one Oryx, or a Rooivalk.

It's designed for punishment as well, according to the Navy, including air and sea strikes as well as biological and chemical defence protection.

Ultimately, it's designed for effective surveillance patrol, crisis response, anti-piracy and peace support operations capabilities, in particular "stability projection operations", with capacity, said Kamerman, to stay at sea for up to three months on "both sides of the equator".

It will also be used for effective monitoring and protection of South Africa's marine resources and environment in its huge eexclusive economic zone, and is effective too for disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations.

Mr Lekota said yesterday that the Corvettes would be critical in ensuring that "for many years to come the Navy will be able to provide the requisite levels of operations and support to ensure stability, peace and security of the both the Indian and Atlantic ocean coastlines of South Africa, Southern Africa and further afield".

In keeping with the principles of NEPAD (the New Partnership for Africa's Development) and the "African Agenda", South Africa must be "fully prepared for any threats to the critical economic activity of the international sea routes around us".

The SAS Amatola will also be added to the arsenal at the disposal of the South African Development Community regional Standby Force, one of the African Union's five regional brigades for peacekeeping and rapid reaction in Africa.

The recent establishment of the SADC brigade along with a continental Regional Early Warning System all pointed Africa in a direction of hope and progress, said Mr Lekota.

"We are now collectively capable of pre-emptive and rapid response to situations both military and where humanitarian disaster may occur," the defence minister said.

Arms maker Denel thrown R2bn lifeline International Affairs Editor FINANCE Minister Trevor Manuel said yesterday that the government would bale out state-owned arms manufacturer Denel with a R2bn rescue package in the next few weeks. Denel, which made of a loss of R1,6bn last financial year and is coming out of technical insolvency, has asked government for a R5bn re-capitalisation package over the next five years. The remaining amount will have to be approved by cabinet on an annual basis and will depend on the parastatal meeting certain goals.

Denel's CEO Sean Liebenberg said yesterday the R2bn would help restructure the company's balance sheet, sort out loan facilities and pay for restructuring costs. It also would go towards investment in new plant and equipment, and new product development.

In its estimates of national expenditure document released yesterday the treasury said government will still have to consider various options for a long-term solution. The treasury said in its budget review document released yesterday that looking ahead, Denel still faces considerable challenges and opportunities, but is beginning to benefit from strategies started in previous years.

Significant new provision is made in the defence budget for upgrading the army's truck and fighting vehicle fleet and investment in new electronic intelligence gathering systems.

The budget includes a rise of more than 65% or R121m in an allocation for electronic intelligence collection capability intended to detect movement at sea and in the air. The budget document does not specify how the allocation for upgrading army vehicles will be spent, but the army has been considering upgrades, new trucks and a new infantry fighting vehicle to replace the Ratel.

Provision has also been made for a large scale continuation of recruitment to the defence force under the military skills development programme.

The aim of the programme is to introduce healthier and fitter youngsters to overcome the defence force's health problems associated with ageing and the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

More than 4300 school leavers entered the programme last month. That will bring the total strength of recruits brought into the SANDF under this programme to 11930 and increases pressure for exit packages for those whom the programme will displace.

Overall defence spending trends continue to be heavily influenced by the payment schedule for the controversial multibillion-rand arms package. However, if allocations to the arms packages are excluded, the defence department's budget will grow at an annual average rate of 7,8% from 2002-03 to 2008-09. The strengthening rand and, to a lesser extent, a rescheduling in payments due to programme delays have seen the treasury estimating that the total cost of the controversial package for corvettes, submarines, fighters and helicopters will decline to R44,8bn compared with last year's budget estimate of R45,6bn.

The 2006/7 defence Budget has been well received, with one observer calling it realistic and another calling it positive.

Asked for comment, African Armed Forces editor Peter McIntosh said the Budget was realistic.

"It is coming into line with international norms regarding personnel, equipment and operational costs," he said.

Institute for Security Studies defence analyst Len le Roux said the Budget was an improvement on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework.

He added that the emphasis in the landward Budget, meaning the SA army, was particularly welcome as that service was bearing the brunt of South Africa's peacekeeping effort but had been left out of the Strategic Defence Package that saw the navy get new ships and submarines and the airforce new planes and helicopters.

Risks identified in the Department of Defence's strategic business plan addressed in this Budget included more money for the army and the upgrading of ground facilities at several airforce bases.

Le Roux also called on the defence department to speed up the rewriting of the Defence White Paper.

"The Budget still does not address the fundamental problem of the misalignment of the defence funding and defence policy. We know the South African National Defence Force is underfunded in terms of current policy. South Africa has now been waiting two years for the promised redrafting of the white paper. This needs to be finalised so that we can measure the Budget against the new policy, not old, as is now the case."

According to documentation released by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel as part of his annual Budget on Wednesday, the special defence account, used to buy weapons and equipment for the SANDF, will continue to consume over a third of the country's defence Budget, although it is set to decline over the next three years.

The account averages 35,6% of the defence department's total spending, which increases from R24-billion in 2006/07, to R26-billion in 2008/09.

The Budget also makes additional allocations for a variety of initiatives. These include modernising defence equipment, investing in the maintenance and repair of defence infrastructure and facilities, and expanding the department's anti-retroviral roll-out programme.

Over the medium term, the landward defence programme is projected to comprise, on average, 16,8% of the department's total spending.

Modernising the vehicle fleet is a major spending item, especially evident in a 35,9% increase in the support capability subprogramme, and a 51,6% increase in goods and services in 2006/07.

Expenditure for air defence increases to R2,9-billion in 2008/09, mainly because of allocations to improve and maintain system integrity at bases.

These funds would also be used to prepare infrastructure and personnel for the integration of new training and fighter aircraft into the SANDF.

Maritime defence comprised 5,6% of the total spending for the department, and will increase to R1,5-billion in 2008/09.

The navy's most immediate priority was the full acceptance of four frigates, and its first two new submarines in 2006/07.

Spending on the force employment programme was expected to slow down, from an annual average rate of 22,8% between 2002/03 and 2005/06, to 3,3% over the next three years.

More money will be made available for special operations, as part of an incentive scheme to attract and retain Special Forces personnel. - Sapa

Budget facts and analysis: Read all about Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel's Budget for 2006/07 at our Budget special report.

Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota must hand over certain documents about the multibillion-rand arms deal to Richard Young, whose company CCII Systems was one of the losing bidders, the Pretoria High Court decided on Friday.

This was the effect of a judgement by Judge Brian Southwood, who turned down Lekota's application for leave to appeal against a judgement given in April last year.

Southwood at the time ordered that Lekota, within two months, had to hand over the required documents to Young.

Young, whose company lost out on a contract to supply combat technology to the South African Navy's corvettes, applied for access to the documents under the Promotion of Access to Information Act.

The documents he sought pertained to the sub-systems to be installed on the corvettes. Lekota's counsel at the time argued that the government was entitled under the Act to withhold some of the information if it was confidential.

Southwood on Friday also refused Lekota condonation for the late filing of his application for leave to appeal. The minister's notice of application for leave to appeal was filed more than two months late.

Following the April judgement, Lekota did not hand over the documents as ordered. More than a month later, the deputy information officer of the Department of Defence asked for an extension of two-and-a-half weeks to comply with the order. This time lapsed without any documents being handed to Young.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) had in the meantime decided to obtain a legal opinion on the prospects of success in appealing against Southwood's April ruling, and the implications of that ruling.

On June 8 last year, a meeting of the Defence Staff Council decided that the judgement should not be challenged. Reasons included that the council thought that Young was already in possession of most, if not all, of the documents he wanted to see.

The Secretary of Defence, January Masilela, however, later recommended that the minister should seek leave to appeal against the judgement in view of the effect it was likely to have on the republic's international and trade relations and the arms industry in general.

The grounds for leave to appeal included that Lekota had proved that the requested documents fell under sections of the Act that protected information from being disclosed.

Southwood, however, found that this argument did not hold water and that the confidentiality sections in the Act were not applicable in this case.

He further said Masilela's explanation for late filing of leave to appeal did not stand up to scrutiny.

"It is significant that the applicant [Lekota] decided, despite advice given by senior counsel, to appeal for reasons other than the applicant's prospects of success," Southwood said.

Regarding the merits of the appeal, Southwood said in his opinion Lekota had no success of succeeding in an appeal.

He ordered Lekota (in his official capacity) to pay the legal costs of the hearing. -- Sapa

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