Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Lesotho holds a unique reputation in the international annals of corruption busting.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Scheme is a plan through which the apartheid government sought to increase water supplies to Johannesburg – and to counter the growing banking sanctions campaign during the 1980s.

About 40% of the water in the Senqunyane River basin is to be diverted to the Vaal Dam, south of Johannesburg. The officially estimated cost of the project, which is due for completion in 2020, is $8.7 billion (R62.3 billion).

Reintegration of guerrilla forces into both military and civilian society after two prolonged Southern Africanconflicts has proved far from easy, two recent studies by the Institute for Security Studies have shown.

The issue has haunted South Africa over recent years, with repeated demonstrations by dissatisfied former guerrillas, whether they are Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) fighters, now facing grinding poverty, who were not integrated into the SANDF, or former Azanian People’s Liberation Army guerrillas, still languishing in jail for what they say are political offences.

Although Zulu militarism was just as based on the subjugation of others as Boer militarism was, Zulu set-piece tactics turned the victory of Isandlwana into the defeat of Ulundi, whereas Boer mobility kept their “flying commandos” in the field until fully two years after Pretoria had fallen to the British.

This would have far-reaching effects on guerrilla warfare doctrine around the world, from the resistance cells in the Philippines, to the rapid-deployment sotnia of the Revolutionary Insurgent Army of Ukraine (RIAU) during the Russian Revolution, to the Irish Republican Army’s own “flying columns”.

According to South African Guerrilla Armies, by the late MK commander Rocky Williams, the Boer commandos’ influence was such that the military structure of the Union Defence Force “for decades … was to remain a militia-type organisation”.

Compared to the Boers’ five years of commando experience, MK had a good 33 years in the field – and was possessed of a much clearer political-military strategy than the Boer generals, whose works they scoured. They also drew from the writings of North Vietnam’s Vo Nguyen Giap and Ché Guevara. What the ANC learnt from these disparate tacticians was how to combine mass political mobilisation with guerrilla warfare.

Williams notes that despite initial reservations about MK after its formation in 1961 because of the “inherent religiosity of the Congress Alliance and its fundamentally humanist nature”, the force soon became subservient “to the political and civil authority of the ANC”. MK’s other strengths, Williams says, were its “moral restraint” and its ethnic representivity – and, he notes, its minimal hierarchy.

This formula echoes that of other politico-military formations: for example, the RIAU elected its officers and was, while operationally autonomous, under the political control of Congresses of Peasants’, Workers’ and Insurgents’ Deputies. Today, the Zapatista National Liberation Army in Mexico similarly falls under community oversight, which militates against militaristic abuses of power.

The stress of MK’s exile somewhat damaged civilian control, Williams suggests, arguing that although “the subordination of MK to the political authority and direction of the ANC … was never seriously questioned, it is perhaps not unsurprising that MK developed a quasi- militaristic identity that sometimes resulted in differences of opinion between the MK leadership and those of the [ANC’s] National Executive Committee”.

And yet, with 22 000 personnel, many of them highly trained, ready for conventional redeployment, MK would appear to have been much better placed than the Boer commandos to shape the new defence force of the state-under-construction in its own image.

But Williams argues the apartheid “old guard” simply had more money, more skills and more personnel with which to impose their doctrine on the integration process.

The result, he says, was not only a historical loss for the ANC, but for the new SANDF itself, which ignored some of the advantages of irregular warfare – including the scrapping of an agreed-upon Unconventional Brigade – and the loss of the force-supporting tradition of unarmed “civilian-based defence” that the liberation movements had honed to perfection during the resistance.

What happens to those who get demobilised was the focus of From Soldiers to Citizens (2007) by João Gomes Porto, Imogen Parsons and Chris Alden – who write on former guerrillas of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) in that country’s central highlands.

Their study shows the 46 940 Unita fighters who returned to civilian life after the war are overwhelmingly supported by their communities. This social integration is hugely assisted by their church and political affiliations: ex-combatants remain tight with each other, though often suspicious of local authorities, who tend to be drawn from the ruling MPLA. Within two years of laying down their arms, half already considered themselves civilians.

But after 27 years of war, the authors write, citing Kees Kingma, true civilianisation depends “on the process of democratisation, including the recovery of a weak [or collapsed] state and the maturing of an independent civil society”.

Ironically, if MK’s experience is anything to go by, guerrilla experiences may have more lessons for “civvy street” than for the army – and I don’t mean only in terms of boardroom ambush tactics.

Williams argues that guerrillas bring with them the legitimacy of popular struggle; flexibility of tactics and doctrine; and the concept of the soldier as thinker, rather than as mere ammunition mule.

I’d argue that the kind of independent civil society envisaged by Kingma could well be midwifed by ex-guerrillas with the kind of flexible thinking and respect for democratic community that have made the world’s most remarkable fighting forces harbingers of genuinely freer societies.

Si Wouter Basson, cerveau du programme bactériologique et chimique (CBW) de l'ancien régime blanc de Pretoria, était plus connu sous le surnom de « Docteur de la mort », c'est que le rêve de ce médecin militaire à l'imagination exacerbée était de trouver des solutions médicales aux problèmes politiques. Des tee-shirts empoisonnés, pour éliminer les opposants, aux vaccins destinés à stériliser la population noire, rien n'était trop beau pour remplir sa mission. «Non. Je ne suis pas un monstre . Tous ceux qui me connaissent vous le diront. C'est vrai que tout le monde me prend pour tel. C'est n'importe quoi !  » Voilà ce que déclarait Wouter Basson dans la presse sud-africaine le 7 mars dernier. Dans un entretien exceptionnel, celui qui ne s'exprime jamais continuait à plaider non coupable : « Je maintiens que je n'ai jamais rien fait d'illégal, ni d'immoral. Mes recherches étaient, sous le précédent gouvernement, parfaitement éthiques.

Revirement ! Les 732 soldats du contingent marocain de l'ONUCI stationné à Bouaké, au coeur de l'ex-rébellion, ne seront plus écartés de la sécurisation de la manifestation du 30 juillet prochain. Ils feront partie de ces soldats des forces impartiales qui occuperont le troisième cercle.

Selon une information de source diplomatique, les responsables de l'ONUCI ont mis un peu d'eau dans leur vin en revoyant leur position un peu trop tranchée de départ. "Ils continuent de faire leur travail de tous les jours. D'ailleurs, ils travaillent de concert avec les Fanci dans la préparation de la fête du 30 juillet prochain. Ce qu'ils ne peuvent plus faire, puisque l'enquête continue, ce sont un certain nombre de choses dont je ne peux rien dire ici. Je puis vous dire, cependant, qu'ils ne pourront plus prendre de permission et autres comme par le passé", explique le diplomate onusien.

SANDF told to stick to its guns better Parliamentary Editor CAPE TOWN The Ceasefire Campaign has taken aim at the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for lack of control over the weapons it owns, suggesting that it be forced to comply with the Firearms Control Act.

The Ceasefire statement follows reports that many SANDF weapons, from R-4 assault rifles to pistols, have gone missing and could have been used in armed crimes. There have been news reports of a report compiled by the SANDF's head of legal services, Maj-Gen BS Mmono, warning the chief of the SANDF, Gen Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya, could face criminal charges because of poor weapons control.

Lack of control over SANDF weapons is totally unacceptable, the Ceasefire Campaign said.

It also expressed its grave concern at reports of shoddy control over weapons in the SANDF and lack of compliance with those sections of the Firearms Control Act that could assist in ensuring that control is more effective. Compliance could also assist in ensuring that weapons are less likely to be in the hands of mentally unstable members of the SANDF. We commend Maj-Gen Nmono for bringing this to the fore. This is not the first time that weapons have gone missing and it has become apparent that the SANDF does not have a system in place to keep track of weapons. The report of lost/stolen arms at home is compounded by those involved in peace-support operations who have not been able to account for all their arms, as was the case in Burundi not so long ago, the Ceasefire statement said. It described as outrageous the fact that there was no system to report weapons thefts and to track losses of arms and ammunition at the SANDF, given the number of weapons under its control.

Notwithstanding dissatisfaction with service delivery and the high rate of crime, we are fortunate to live in a relatively stable political environment, it said.

It argued that the theft of 500 rifles and pistols from the Mthata SANDF base, as confirmed by the police, should be ringing bells and be given high priority by government officials.

The SANDF was not available for comment yesterday. Ceasefire also suggested that because of high rates of domestic violence and family murders in SA, soldiers should not take their weapons home with them.

A fuel depot at one of the South African National Defence Force bases has been shut down by inspectors from the Department of Labour, after they discovered fuel leaks.

The inspectors were sent to the depot at the 43rd SA Brigade in Wallmannsthal, north of Pretoria following reports of the leakages.

It was discovered that petrol and diesel were leaking from underground pipes and the fumes from the spillage were evident in the toilets. Access to the area has now been restricted.

The leakages represented both a danger to SANDF members there and a contravention of Section 30 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The SANDF was served with a prohibition notice and measures have been taken to prevent further leakages.

The department reiterated that prohibition orders can be withdrawn as soon as the employer complies with the directives as contained in the original prohibition order.

An environmental impact assessment will be conducted before the notice is withdrawn.

Labour Department spokesperson Zolisa Sigabi said the department's inspectorate had ordered that the electricity supply to the depot be disconnected with immediate effect.

"We have an obligation and responsibility in terms of the Occupational Act to enforce the law and ensure the safety of all workers, in both the private and public sectors," said Ms Sigabi.

In Nelspruit earlier this year, inspectors shut down the Labour department's own offices because health and safety issues were not up standard.

Ms Sigabi said they would continue to close down hazardous work places to ensure the safety of employees.

Military personnel are engaged in major clean-up operations after underground fuel pipes burst at one of Pretoria’s biggest infantry bases.

It is believed that hundreds of tons of fuel may have spilled into the ground, polluting large sections of 43 Mechanised South African Infantry Brigade just outside the capital.

The leaks, according to the South African National Defence Force, were discovered on June 26.

Now Labour Department inspectors, conducting routine inspections at the base, have forced the base commander to shut down the fuel depot. The inspectors say they discovered gross violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

In a statement, the Labour Department said petrol and diesel had been leaking from underground pipes at the fuel depot.

The department said a prohibition notice barring any work at the fuel depot had been served on the defence force.

The notice has compelled the defence force to shut down the fuel depot until repairs and an environmental impact study have been completed.

Labour spokesperson Zolisa Sigabi said the department’s inspectorate also ordered an immediate disconnection of electricity supply to the fuel depot.

Apart from closing down the fuel depot, access to the base’s bathrooms had been stopped because of fumes from the fuel spillage.

“In terms of the prohibition notice, measures have to be taken to prevent further leakages. An environmental impact assessment on the spill must be submitted before the notice can be lifted,” she said.

Sigabi said: “We have an obligation and responsibility to enforce the law and to ensure the safety of all workers.

“Inspections are part of the department’s programme in terms of the OHS Act and are conducted to ensure that private and government organisations comply with South Africa’s occupational health and safety regulations,” she said.

Sigabi said the department’s inspectors would return to the base soon to see whether the defence force had complied with the prohibition order.

Questioned on how much fuel had spilled and the size of the area affected by the leak, SANDF spokesperson Colonel Petrus Motlhabane said he was unable to divulge either of these.

But he added that once the leak was discovered it was immediately reported to the relevant authorities and the polluted area identified and cordoned off.

Motlhabane said since the discovery of the leak the fuel pipes had been repaired.

“An external agency will be appointed by the Defence Department to assess the environmental impact posed by the leak. Once the assessment has been done the environmental rehabilitation of the polluted area will occur,” he said.

For safety reasons the affected infantry brigade was now using fuel facilities at a base in Wonderboom, he said.

The South African military market is likely to continue to sustain strong growth prospects as a rapidly growing defense budget and force-restructuring efforts afford new procurement opportunities to the South African National Defense Forces (SANDF). These opportunities will be aligned with the planned modernization of land forces and improved training, operations, maintenance, and logistic support. The confluence of an expanded defense budget, declining military personnel costs, and downturn in the procurement payment cycle is the primary factor driving the modernization of the South African military market.

In early July, South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel announced that defense spending would continue to grow over the next several years. Manuel's proposal suggested that FY2008-2009 would increase by 9 percent. The positive outlook for the defense sector follows a considerable expansion in defense spending over previous years; the FY2007-2008 budget represents a 6 percent increases over that of FY2006-2007 and a 9 percent increase in defense expenditures compared with FY2005-2006. Economic growth averaging 4.6 percent in recent years and favorable exchange rates have enabled the South African government to allocate funds needed to modernize its aging military.

Concurrently, the proportion of the defense budget devoted to military personnel-related expenditures is gradually declining. In FY2007-2008, approximately 35 percent of the defense budget was allocated to personnel costs compared with over 38 percent in FY2006-2007. The South African Defense Ministry has set a nominal goal of only 30 percent of the budget to be dedicated to personnel costs. Savings from military personnel costs are directed back to procurement accounts and ongoing modernization programs.

SANDF procurement payment cycle has also begun to decline, freeing up additional funds for the next round of acquisitions and modernizations. The Strategic Defense Account (SDA), which accounts for approximately 35 percent of the total defense budget, is responsible for funding long-term procurements. Under the current 12-year Strategic Defense Procurement Program (SDPP), the SDA has been geared toward modernizing the air and naval sectors. With the current SDPP winding down and procurement funds beginning to accumulate, the SANDF is planning to implement the next SDPP with an emphasis on modernizing the land forces.

Fuel spillage has led to the closure of the SA National Defence Force's fuel depot at a base in Pretoria, the labour department said on Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Zolile Sigabi said the closure followed after inspectors found that fuel (petrol and diesel) was leaking from underground pipes at the 43rd SA Brigade Wallmansthal base last week.

She said inspectors discovered gross violations of Section 30 of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act.

"The fumes of the fuel spillage were also evident in the toilets, which have since been blocked from access."

A prohibition notice was served last week which ordered that measures be taken to prevent further leakage.

It also ordered that an environmental impact assessment on the spill be submitted before the notice can be rescinded.

"The prohibition notice is still in place as the things that we said needed to be fixed have not been fixed."

Sigabi said the department's inspectorate also ordered an immediate disconnection of electricity supply to the fuel depot.

"We have an obligation and responsibility in terms of the OHS Act to enforce the law and ensure the safety of all workers both in the private and public sector." she said.

Earlier this year, labour inspectors in Nelspruit shut down the department's own offices for health and safety reasons, said Sigabi.

BETWEEN 5 000 and 6 000 Zimbabweans legally cross the Beit Bridge border post into South Africa every day and only a few of them return home.

This is besides the suspected 1 000 a day who enter the country illegally to look for work on farms along the Zimbabwe-South African border.

These claims were made by a DA delegation after its visit to Beit Bridge yesterday to investigate the situation regarding Zimbabweans crossing into South Africa.

DA spokesperson on Home Affairs Mike Lowe said the statistics were provided by officials working at the border post and also from interviews with business people and farmers.

“This number is a 100% increase from the number coming in two weeks ago. We expect the number to grow next month when the Zimbabwean government cracks down on goods coming into the country.”

The Department of Home Affairs could not readily provide official figures to verify the number of Zimbabweans crossing into South Africa.

The Department of Home Affairs should admit there is a humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe, said Lowe.

“But the ANC government will not do that because it would be an acknowledgement that the government’s quiet diplomacy policy on Zimbabwe has failed. That’s why the Minister of Home Affairs (Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula) is denying that there is a problem in Zimbabwe,” he said.

The SAPS, said Lowe, could not cope with the work load and were incapacitated.

Lowe said that the roads coming from the border post were filled with Zimbabweans coming into the country.

The DA’s visit follows a similar trip by ANC MPs in the Peace and Security cluster portfolio committees who went to Beit Bridge last week and reported 5 000 Zimbabweans trying to enter South Africa had been arrested this month.

Patrick Chauke, Home Affairs portfolio committee chairperson and ANC MP, said a comprehensive report on their findings would be ready next week.

The chairpersons of the respective portfolio committees would then meet with the ministers and directors-general of the affected departments.

It is understood the report finds fault with lack of capacity and co-ordination between government departments and agencies, namely the SAPS, Home Affairs and the SA National Defence Force, working at Beit Bridge.

It also highlights the “vacuum” left by the pulling out of SANDF members from some of the unfenced border areas, thus making it easier for illegal immigrants to enter the country.

“It’s important that we deal with the political heads who are the implementers of the departments’ programmes to iron out some of our findings. But obviously the details will come out when the report is ready,” said Chauke.

Mapisa-Nqakula’s spokesperson, Cleo Mosana, accused the DA of playing “political football” with the Zimbabwean issue. “The DA issued a press statement saying there’s a crisis in Zimbabwe and only wrote to (Mapisa-Nqakula) the following day.

“One would have expected the DA would want to engage with the government in a better way knowing there were negotiations taking place. And also taking into account that the SA Development Community has tasked (President Thabo Mbeki) to lead the mediation process in Zimbabwe.”

Days Of The Generals: The Untold Story of South Africas Apartheid-era Military Generals by Hilton Hamann, 2007, July, 320 pages

Days of the Generals is based on interviews with the former generals of the South African Defence Force: Magnus Malan, Constand Viljoen, Jannie Geldenhuys, Georg Meiring, Hein du Toit and Chris Thirion. For the first time, they have opened up and told their side of the story about events in southern Africa from the 1970s to the present. Theirs is an explosive story, giving behind-the-scenes information about covert operations, secret meetings, strategic alliances and full-scale war. The book looks in detail at South Africa's involvement in Angola, Namibia and Mozambique. It examines the armed struggle of the ANC and the state's war weapons, South Africa's nuclear program and other "top secret" issues. This is essential reading for anyone interested in southern African politics and military history.

About the Author
Hilton Hamann entered the South African Defence Force as a conscript in 1975, and was stationed in Angola. He subsequently became the Sunday Times's military correspondent and wrote for a number of well-known international magazines and newspapers, such as Soldier of Fortune. In this role he travelled extensively with the SADF, accompanying them into many battles. He currently runs a news syndication company.

Rapid-fire assault rifles in the hands of mentally unfit soldiers; problematic weapons storage; and no proper records of the movement of guns and ammunition.

This is part of an indictment served on the SA National Defence Force by one of its top officials.

A report compiled by SANDF head of legal services Major-General BS Mmono warns that Chief of the SANDF General Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya could face criminal charges because of the army’s shoddy weapons control. He also expresses concern that the SANDF could be confronted with civil lawsuits from members of the public who have either been injured or killed by guns in the hands of unfit soldiers.

“It is fair to state that if the SANDF does not urgently engage with the South African Police Service and start implementing the (Firearms Control Act), Chief of the SANDF General Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya, in his capacity as head of an official institution, as well as members, could be charged,” Mmono wrote.

He also states that “current SANDF policy and procedure, control of firearms and ammunition, including transport, storage and repair, will have to be reviewed by relevant role-players to bring all the aforesaid disciplines in line with the Firearms Control Act”.

However, when The Star last week asked police media director Phuti Setati if the Department of Defence complied with the Firearms Control Act, he categorically stated in a written response: “As one of the official institutions, the SANDF is complying with the relevant provisions of the act.”

The picture painted by Mmono, in a 12-page brief delivered to the Military Council in April and leaked to The Star, is very different. Included in its revelations are the following:

nThe SANDF does not have any system in place by which it can immediately report thefts and losses of its arms and ammunition to the police.

nIt has no register for “the particulars of all firearms less than 20mm, including the details of every member allowed to be in possession of a firearm … and particulars regarding disposal, transfer, loss, theft, destruction of the aforesaid firearms”.

nIt has no system in place to deal with SANDF members declared unfit to possess a firearm by a military court.

Asked to explain the apparent contradiction between Mmono’s report and Setati’s answer, Senior Superintendent Mohlabe Tlomatsana said the police needed to “follow up” with the SANDF before responding.

Mmono’s brief revealed that the SANDF hoped to form a firearms control “national implementation team” with the police, and the intelligence and correctional services departments.

“This would provide the SANDF with an effective shield against prosecution (for Firearms Control Act violations),” Mmono stated, adding that the team would be a “nodal point” which the SANDF could “negotiate”.

Mmono also expressed concern about shootings committed by mentally unstable SANDF members deemed fit to possess a firearm, which he stated could result in the “SANDF being subjected to civil claims”.

Air Force sergeant Flippie Venter, who used his R-4 assault rifle to shoot his wife and children, was found to have murdered them while in a “wrong” state of mind.

Sentencing Venter to an effective 10-year sentence, Judge Nico Coetzee stated that Venter “had depression and suicidal intentions” when he shot his family.

It remains unclear if and how Venter was granted an SANDF permit to possess the rifle.

Meanwhile, The Star has uncovered at least half-a-dozen recent criminal cases involving stolen SANDF weapons – including the theft of over 500 weapons from an Mthata SANDF base.

Mthata Superintendent Mzukisi Fatyela this week confirmed that his station was investigating the theft of “more than 500 rifles and pistols” from an SANDF base.

Top official paints contradictory picture on adherence to firearms act

Rapid-fire assault rifles in the hands of mentally unfit soldiers; problematic weapons storage; and no proper records of the movement of guns and ammunition.

This is part of an indictment served on the SA National Defence Force by one of its top officials.

A report compiled by SANDF head of legal services Major-General BS Mmono warns that Chief of the SANDF General Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya could face criminal charges because of the army’s shoddy weapons control. He also expresses concern that the SANDF could be confronted with civil lawsuits from members of the public who have either been injured or killed by guns in the hands of unfit soldiers.

“It is fair to state that if the SANDF does not urgently engage with the South African Police Service and start implementing the (Firearms Control Act), Chief of the SANDF General Godfrey Nhlanhla Ngwenya, in his capacity as head of an official institution, as well as members, could be charged,” Mmono wrote.

He also states that “current SANDF policy and procedure, control of firearms and ammunition, including transport, storage and repair, will have to be reviewed by relevant role-players to bring all the aforesaid disciplines in line with the Firearms Control Act”.

However, when The Star last week asked police media director Phuti Setati if the Department of Defence complied with the Firearms Control Act, he categorically stated in a written response: “As one of the official institutions, the SANDF is complying with the relevant provisions of the act.”

The picture painted by Mmono, in a 12-page brief delivered to the Military Council in April and leaked to The Star, is very different.

Included in its revelations are the following:

n The SANDF does not have any system in place by which it can immediately report thefts and losses of its arms and ammunition to the police.

n It has no register for “the particulars of all firearms less than 20mm, including the details of every member allowed to be in possession of a firearm … and particulars regarding disposal, transfer, loss, theft, destruction of the aforesaid firearms”.

n It has no system in place to deal with SANDF members declared unfit to possess a firearm by a military court.

Asked to explain the apparent contradiction between Mmono’s report and Setati’s answer, Senior Superintendent Mohlabe Tlomatsana said the police needed to “follow up” with the SANDF before responding.

Mmono’s brief revealed that the SANDF hoped to form a firearms control “national implementation team” with the police, and the intelligence and correctional services departments.

“This would provide the SANDF with an effective shield against prosecution (for Firearms Control Act violations),” Mmono stated, adding that the team would be a “nodal point” through which the SANDF could “negotiate”.

Mmono also expressed concern about shootings committed by mentally unstable SANDF members deemed fit to possess a firearm, which he stated could result in the “SANDF being subjected to civil claims”.

Air Force sergeant Flippie Venter, who used his R-4 assault rifle to shoot his wife and children, was found to have murdered them while in a “wrong” state of mind.

Sentencing Venter to an effective 10-year sentence, Judge Nico Coetzee stated that Venter “had depression and suicidal intentions” when he shot his family.

It remains unclear if and how Venter was granted an SANDF permit to possess the rifle.

Meanwhile, The Star has uncovered at least half-a-dozen recent criminal cases involving stolen SANDF weapons – including the theft of over 500 weapons from an Mthata SANDF base.

Mthata Superintendent Mzukisi Fatyela this week confirmed that his station was investigating the theft of “more than 500 rifles and pistols” from an SANDF base.

Last month, Dullstroom police arrested three men for possession of, among ammunition and several weapons, including a firearm belonging to the SANDF.

Fezeka Mbelekwana lost her policeman husband when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle with an R-4 assault rifle that is used by the SA National Defence Force.

The R-4 rifle can fire 600 rounds in a minute, and the SANDF has no idea where hundreds of these and other such weapons are.

In 2005 the Defence Ministry revealed that 470 weapons had been stolen or lost by SANDF members in the previous five years.

In the Eastern Cape alone, about 146 R-4 rifles are unaccounted for, and 50 R-1 rifles are reportedly missing from the Soutpansberg area.

Now, as one of the men accused of shooting Monwabisi Mbelekwana and his colleague, Mmakwena Morris Manoko, in March is set to appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday, police say they are still trying to trace the origins of the R-4 rifle and 9mm handguns used to kill the constables. This is despite several police inquiries to the SANDF about the legally licensed weapons – which reportedly still had identification numbers.

“We cannot say for certain that the weapons belonged to the SANDF … We are still trying to find out where they came from,” said police spokesman Eugene Opperman – comments that were echoed by SANDF spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi.

Opperman added that “bad record-keeping” could be to blame for delays in the identification of the firearms.

Meanwhile, the Daily News has learnt that the police’s query is one of more than two dozen made to the SANDF’s firearms control department in the past few months about military weapons used to commit crime.

But, amid damning reports and pending parliamentary questions about the Department of Defence’s arms and ammunition “misplacements”, the police have declined to reveal how many weapons seized from violent crime scenes had been linked to the military.

“It is regrettable that the SAPS cannot assist or supply your office with the information around firearms that were seized by the SAPS during armed robberies as most cases are still under investigation,” said police Dir Phuti Setati, who handles all firearm control queries.

Investigate

Mbelekwana and Manoko, a 29-year-old who had worked as a policeman for only two months when he was killed, were shot after they went to investigate an armed robbery at the Authorised Fitment Centre in Midrand in the early hours of March 17.

Robbers, allegedly including arrested suspect David Monyeeobi, opened fire on the pair after they got out of their vehicle.

“My husband was not the type of policeman who did not respond to complaints … he used to tell me: ‘If I don’t go out there and someone loses their life, it will be on my conscience forever’,” Fezeka Mbelekwana said.

Speaking from her modest RDP home outside Benoni, she described the day of her husband’s death: “I had woken up at 4 o’clock in the morning that day … because of the dream I had, where he was calling to me.

“I got up to finish the curtains that I was working on, I moved the machine to the window so that I could see him when he came home.

“The time passed and I was worried, so I went to the public phone to call him. It was broken, so I had to go home.

“When I saw the policemen outside our place, I thought they had brought him back to me,” said the 25-year-old, who has a 1-year-old daughter with Mbelekwana.

When she realised he was dead, Fezeka said, she couldn’t stop screaming.

“I get so sad when I think that he died without me. I wish that I had been on the scene to hold him.

“One thing that comforts me is that he always told me, when we spoke about the dangers of his job, that if it was his time, it was his time.

“He was not afraid of death,” she said.

Themba Godi, a PAC MP and member of the parliamentary committee Scopa, said that the Defence Department’s “horrific” asset management was contributing to the use of military weapons in violent crime.

“Gross mismanagement of assets creates an environment where people can steal and sell arms and ammunition,” he said, adding that the defence department’s asset loss had been repeatedly identified by the Auditor-General.

There’s a new type of military helicopter in South Africa: two Air Force Oryxes and an Alouette escorted the first of the SA National Defence Force’s Lynx helicopters from Cape Town International to the Ysterplaat Air Force Base at the weekend.

The two Lynxes were delivered from Agusta-Westland in the UK by a gigantic Antonov cargo aircraft.

Four have been ordered, and will primarily see duty on board the SA Navy’s new frigates.

The helicopters, flying in formation, did a circuit around the City Bowl on Friday before flying up the West Coast and then landing at Ysterplaat, where the base’s staff gathered to witness the event.

For helicopter buffs it was something of a bitter-sweet day.

There was great excitement as the new Lynxes flew into view, but it was one of the last times the Alouette III will be seen flying in our skies. Ysterplaat’s 22 Squadron is the only unit still operating the Alouette III. They will be withdrawn from service on August 3.

Sheepish senior police officers are working on an ambitious plan to reduce the incidence of crime in KwaZulu-Natal.

In hastily arranged meetings, senior SAPS organisers have met with the SANDF and with representatives of metro police forces in the province to discuss plans to eradicate crime.

This follows the release of recent crime statistics by Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula which painted grim picture of the crime rate in the province.

From April 2006 to March this year, almost 5 000 murders were committed in the province. Gauteng and the Eastern Cape reported fewer than 4 000 murders each.

A senior police officer told the Daily News yesterday: “The competition is on among provinces to have as few crime incidents as possible when the statistics are released. We were very embarrassed with the recent crime statistics,” said the source.

This was confirmed by the provincial police head Hamilton Ngidi, who said the plan was in place to intensify efforts to eradicate crime in the province.

“The competition is now on among provinces because everyone wants to bring in good results urgently. We want to reduce crime drastically,” Ngidi said.

Ngidi, however, refused to divulge the strategies they would use to fight crime, saying that it would alert criminals.

“We have recently managed to reduce the number of ATM bombings because we used a certain strategy. I would be alerting criminals if I were to tell you how we have done it,” he said.

What worries KZN residents is that the new statistics show that almost 80% of hijackings and 80% of robberies at homes and business premises were occurring in KZN and Gauteng.

Although the police boss refused to divulge the actual strategies which will be used, the Daily News has been told that the focus will be on reducing what is called contact crimes. This includes crimes such as organised crime, armed robberies, cash-in-transit heists and criminal acts against women and children.

This will be done by pursuing the most wanted criminals in the province who are believed to be ringleaders of the high spate of armed robberies.

The strategy adopts the target set by the national cabinet to reduce serious and violent crimes by between 7% and 10% annually over an eight-year period, ending in 2014.

One sign of this crackdown on crime syndicates may be the arrest this weekend of a suspected criminal, described as the most wanted armed robber.

He was wanted for a string of armed robberies amounting to millions of rands in the greater Durban area.

His arrest follows the capture of four of his co-accused early last week. They will all appear in court this week.

Durban Metro Police spokesman Thomas Tyala said they had been asked to help reduce armed robberies by holding roadblocks and also identifying suspected criminals in the taverns and nightclubs.

To deal with what many see as out of control crime in the country, the central government will, during the 2007/8 financial year, spend more than R51 billion on the criminal justice system.

The case of an SA National Defence Force clerk accused of defrauding her employer of R1.1 million was postponed in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Pretoria on Monday.

The case against Zelda Wolmarans and co-accused Shona Haydenrych was postponed to August 7 as Haydenrych was ill and could not attend court.

The two were expected to enter into a plea bargain with the State.

Wolmarans, 44, of Clubview, was employed to capture information on the department of defence's payroll of army reserve members called up for courses or training.

She is accused of falsely recording that some part-time reserve force members were called up, and then claiming money for these fictitious attendees from the SANDF's salary system.

According to the charge sheet, she had this money paid into her own bank count and that of her children and stepchildren.

She was arrested in April 2006 and released on bail of R20,000.

Soon afterwards her children, Chrizelle and Pieter Jacobus Stephanus van Vuuren and her three stepchildren, Dirk Jacobus, Maria Fransina and Christina Johanna, all Wolmarans, were arrested as the State alleged they all acted with a common purpose with Wolmarans. They were granted bail of R5000 each.

In September that year Anna Marie Leona Rudman, Louis Johannes Fourie and Shona Haydenrych were also arrested.

Earlier this year Wolmarans and Haydenrych, 54, of Valhalla, started plea negotiations with the State. Charges were then withdrawn against the other accused.

SECURITY Awaiting the nation's call Reserve Forces There if needed The successful deployment of the SA National Defence Force's Reserve Forces (RF) during the recent public-service strike could revive the idea of using the army to support police selectively in crime prevention.

Thirteen platoons from traditional infantry units were deployed, as well as members of three rural commandos and 50 medical orderlies 1000 soldiers in total. According to a recent briefing by the SANDF to the parliamentary portfolio committee on defence, this represented a quarter of army personnel used during the strike, mainly at hospitals. The first deployment took place within six hours of call-up. Another 19 platoons were placed on standby.

Troops came from some of SA's oldest and most distinguished units: Transvaal Scottish, Natal Carbineers, Cape Town Highlanders, Cape Town Rifles, SA Irish, Johannesburg Regiment, Rand Light Infantry, Durban Regiment, Regiment Delarey, Regiment Westelike Provincie (still using the Dutch spelling) and Regiment Noord-Transvaal.

Several years ago the Reserve Force (formerly the Citizen Force) was on the point of collapse. The automatic feeder system provided by conscription of whites dried up abruptly in the early 1990s, and there had been a moratorium on any recruitment to the SANDF for most of the decade from 1994. Calls for the army to be used in the fight against crime ignored the fact that by the early 2000s much of the regular infantry force (with an average age of 31, 10 years above the international benchmark) was too old, fat and sick to be of use.

However, planners realised that the survival of the RF was vital to future defence needs, in terms of both cost (part-time forces are cheaper) and strategy (a small standing army, allowing for rapid expansion through the RF when necessary). In 2002 the resurgence began with Project Phoenix. A new RF strategy was launched in 2004 and confirmed earlier this year.

Today the RF strength is 11500 in 48 units, with 71% black members, up from 40% three years ago. Most senior officers are white, but this is changing.

The role of the RF is to provide most of the landward conventional capacity in the SANDF; to engage in peace support; and to provide homeland defence. Eleven RF infantry companies, as well as a troop of engineers, have been deployed in Burundi and the Congo. During ceremonial duties at the opening of parliament this year, 470 RF troops were used. Defence minister Mosiua Lekota has given notice of legislation to enable the call-up of the RF in times other than war. This does not equate to conscription, as regular and part-time SANDF members are all volunteers. But once they are committed, they are obliged to be involved when called on.

With the gradual closure of the commandos, 3500 former commando members have been transferred to the RF and retrained. About 2500 recruits have now emerged from the first batch of short-service volunteers in the regular forces.

The other arms of service have also seen RF regeneration. The SA Air Force has made imaginative use of private aircraft in training. The SA Navy has an RF component of just under 1000, and 25% of posts on new ships have been earmarked for the RF, with 110 called up at any one time.

The SA Medical Health Service has 1070 members, including 14 third- and fourth-year medical students at the universities of Wits and Pretoria who are training as candidate officers.

The SANDF is keen to encourage businesses to support RF service. Outgoing Imperial CE Bill Lynch has been an enthusiastic supporter, and Imperial has found jobs for graduates of the military skills development programme. Once members have joined the RF, the SANDF asks that they be released for training for 30 days every two years.

Maj-Gen Roy Andersen, chief of defence reserves (and chairman of Sanlam and Murray & Roberts in civilian life), says: I am pleased that with the strong support of the department of defence, we are making significant progress with the transformation of the RF. I am now spending time with business leaders to ensure their support. A private in the RF is paid R129/day, a small price to pay if the RF could be mobilised at certain periods to support the police over the December spending season, for instance, with an advance call-up in October to prepare RF members for civilian roadblock and crime-sweep duties. The deterrent effect and the boost to national morale could be considerable.

For Brigadier-General Eugenia Moremi, a mother of a 16-year-old girl, a challenge is nothing new.

Integrated into the SANDF in 1994, Moremi, a former internal activist of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), has worked her way up the ranks to one of the most senior positions in the South African Military Health Services (SAMHS).

Moremi was recently appointed general officer commanding of the SAMHS area headquarters.

Her task, she knows, will not be easy. But, sitting in her office outside Pretoria, Moremi says nothing will stop her from achieving her goals for the unit.

Previously based at defence headquarters, where she was transformation management chief directorate, Moremi is now in control of nearly 50% of the SAHMS budget and responsible for overseeing the smooth running of the military’s health facilities, which include the defence force’s hospitals and sick bays.

She is determined that the SAHMS sets a new standard of medical care in the force.

According to Moremi, who went to school in KwaZulu-|Natal, South Africa is the only country in the world whose armed forces have a dedicated military health services component.

She says other countries are starting to following the SANDF’s example.

One of her goals, she says, is to make the SAMHS the world leader when it comes to military health.

“We have the right people working for us to ensure we can achieve this goal and I believe that with my team we can help the defence department achieve this,” she says.

Moremi, who is a qualified social worker, plans on using her position to help other women in the defence force.

“My promotion and the promotion of my colleagues will go a long way in showing other women in the SANDF that they, too, can get to senior positions.

“These promotions show the Department of Defence is embracing diversity and ensuring every individual, regardless of race, creed or gender, is included at all levels in the military.”

Despite these words of encouragement, she knows that women in the SANDF still have a lot of hard work to do to get ahead in this male-dominated world.

“To achieve their goals, women must empower themselves both militarily and academically so they can rise up through the ranks.

“Unfortunately, women have to work twice as hard, but in the end it is worth it because you prove not only to others but also to yourself that you can achieve what is asked of you.”

Goals

Her advice to women soldiers is to not to let anything stand in their way when setting out to achieve their goals.

Colonel Nontobeko Mpaxa, who becomes a brigadier-general on December 1, says the promotions are an important step for women in the defence force.

“It shows that women have a vital role to play in the SANDF.

“These promotions will help women grow.”

Mpaxa, who was a commissar with MK, says women who want to move up the ranks should never give up.

“Nothing is impossible; the sky is not the limit. Women must realise they are strong and, like men, can make things happen.”

Mpaxa is the officer commanding of the army support base in Port Elizabeth. She will take over as general officer commanding of the SA Army Combat Training Centre (CTC) in Lohatla in the Northern Cape.

She is looking forward to the challenges that will come her way and is more than prepared for them.

Mpaxa will be responsible for ensuring those charged with defending South Africa and keeping peace on the continent are prepared, highly disciplined and ready for deployment at short notice.

The no-nonsense Mpaxa says the centre’s main task is to keep South Africa’s troops ready for any eventuality when it comes to the defence of the country

“It is peacetime now, but in order to prevent war we have to prepare for war.”

The only place in South Africa where this is done is the CTC, which is the second biggest battle training ground in the world. The biggest is in the United States.

For Brigadier-General Eugenia Moremi, a mother of a 16-year-old girl, a challenge is nothing new.

Integrated into the SANDF in 1994, Moremi, a former internal operative of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), has worked her way up the ranks to one of the most senior positions in the South African Military Health Services (SAMHS).

Moremi was recently appointed general officer commanding of the SAMHS Area Military Health Unit headquarters.

Her task, she knows, will not be easy.

But, sitting in her office, Moremi says nothing will stop her from achieving her goals for the unit.

Previously based at defence headquarters, where she was in the transformation management chief directorate, Moremi is now in control of nearly 50% of the SAHMS budget and responsible for overseeing the smooth running of the military’s health facilities, which include the defence force’s hospitals and sick bays.

She is determined that the SAHMS sets a new standard of medical care in the defence force.

According to Moremi, who went to school in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa is the only country in the world whose armed forces have a dedicated military health services component.

She says other countries are starting to following the SANDF’s example.

One of her goals, she says, is to make the SAMHS the world leader when it comes to military health.

“We have the right people working for us to ensure that we can achieve this goal and I believe that with my team we can help the defence department achieve this,” she says.

Moremi, who is a qualified social worker, plans on using her position to help other women in the defence force.

“My promotion and the promotion of my colleagues will go a long way in showing other women in the SANDF that they, too, can get to senior positions.

“These promotions show that the Department of Defence is embracing gender diversity and ensuring that every individual, regardless of race, creed or gender, is included at all levels in the military.”

Despite these words of encouragement, she knows that women in the SANDF still have a lot of hard work to do to get ahead in this male-dominated world.

“To achieve their goals, women must empower themselves both militarily and academically so that they can rise up through the ranks.

“Unfortunately, women have to work twice as hard, but in the end it is worth it because you prove not only to others but also to yourself that you can achieve what is asked of you.”

Her advice to women soldiers is to not to let anything stand in their way when setting out to achieve their goals.

Colonel Nontobeko Mpaxa, who becomes a brigadier-general on December 1, says the promotions are an important step for women in the defence force.

“It shows that women have a vital role to play in the SANDF.

“These promotions will help women to grow.”

Mpaxa, who was a commissar with MK, says women who want to move up the ranks should never give up.

“Nothing is impossible; the sky is not the limit.

“Women must realise that they are strong and, like men, can make things happen.”

Mpaxa is the officer commanding of the Army Support Base in Port Elizabeth. She will take over as general officer commanding of the SA Army Combat Training Centre (CTC) in Lohatla in the Northern Cape.

She is looking forward to the challenges that will come her way and is more than prepared for them.

Mpaxa will be responsible for ensuring that those charged with defending South Africa and keeping peace on the continent are prepared, highly disciplined and ready for deployment at short notice.

Mpaxa says the centre’s main task is to keep South Africa’s troops ready for any eventuality when it comes to the defence of the country.

“It is peacetime now, but in order to prevent war we have to prepare for war.”

The only place in South Africa where this is done is the CTC, which is the second biggest battle training ground in the world.

The biggest is in the US.

South Africa’s crime statistics were released last week. The figures are cause for concern, with increases in various categories of crime. More worrying is that violent crime appears to be on the rise.

Since the release of the figures, South Africans have again expressed concerns about their safety, and correctly so.

Politicians have also had their say. While some have blamed government and called for the resignation of Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, others have criticised the SAPS and its leadership.

Yes, it is government’s responsibility to protect its citizens. But there are ways in which we can – and must – assist.

I am on holiday in the UK and one thing I have noticed is the high police presence and the respect the police command.

Yes, policing is more visible at the moment because of the terror threats. But it is also a deterrent to other forms of crime such as pick-pocketing, robberies and road offences.

I have particularly taken note of how members of the public treat policemen and women in the UK.

I was at the Leeds train station at the weekend and police stopped people randomly to check their baggage. Despite the inconvenience, everyone I saw co-operated – and they praised the police for their action.

As cars entered the station, they were searched. There was a back-up, but while I was there not one person complained.

I heard a woman say that she was willing to miss her train to London for the sake of security. All spoke to the police officers politely and thanked them when they were through.

Locally, many of us make a fuss if we have to wait for a few minutes at a roadblock. We become rude and arrogant. This is wrong!

Metro police also face abuse from motorists. One officer recently told me how drivers swore at him and even called him a racist when he pulled them over for breaking the law.

It is heartening to hear that police numbers are going to increase over the next few years, ahead of the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

Visibility certainly serves as a deterrent to crime. I maintain that the thousands of soldiers at military bases around the country could be redeployed to our streets to assist the SAPS.

The latest crime figures are a strong enough case to argue that we need the SANDF to assist with combating crime.

Some have argued that declaring a state of emergency could also assist in making our country safer. While it has many negative connotations, perhaps it is time for the government to give it serious consideration.

There are South Africans who would prefer this to having criminals running amok.

Blaming one another is not going to make our country safer.

We must all contribute to reducing the high levels of crime. We should also focus more attention on those who are at the root of the problem – the criminals.

It is because of these thugs that we do not feel safe. The apartheid government took away our freedom. Now, our freedom is being restricted by people who have no respect for life and property.

It’s time that we vigorously tackle them. Let us all pledge to do something to reduce the high crime rate.

For example, blow the whistle on criminals, support your local community police forum or sign up to become a reservist.

We also need to respect our law enforcers.

Too often, little respect is shown for our men and women in uniform. They are regularly abused and this must change.

n Yusuf Abramjee is Group Head of News and Talk Programming for Primedia Broadcasting, owners of Talk Radio 702, 94.7 Highveld Stereo, 567 Cape Talk and 94.5 Kfm. He writes in his personal capacity.

SANDF union moves to silence former co-ordinator Legal Affairs Correspondent THE South African National Defence Union (Sandu) said yesterday it would bring a court application next week to stop its former national co-ordinator, Pikkie Greeff, from purporting to act on behalf of the union. This follows comments made on radio by Greeff on the arrest of five soldiers at the offices of Deputy Defence Minister Mluleki George in Pretoria earlier this week.

The arrests occurred as the union agreed to postpone a meeting originally set for Tuesday with the ministry to discuss re-establishing a bargaining council. In May, the Constitutional Court ruled that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was neither entitled to withdraw unilaterally from the Military Bargaining Council nor impose conditions for its return.

The five soldiers were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly trespassing. They were later released on bail pending the sitting of a court marshal. Greeff called a radio station on Tuesday, and claimed the union's president, Sgt-Maj Hector Mosimane, and vice-president, Sgt-Maj Neil Leeuwendaal, were among those arrested.

The union's national secretary, Dumisani Peter, denied that Mosimane and Leeuwendaal had been arrested, and said the men were at their bases in Potchefstroom and Simon's Town, respectively, at the time.

We had an earlier meeting with the minister of defence, and among the issues discussed was the immediate resumption of the Military Bargaining Council. Following the disruption caused by Greeff, another proper meeting has been arranged with the department of defence to finalise the outstanding issues, Peter said.

He said the union would apply to the Pretoria High Court next Tuesday for an interdict restraining Greeff from claiming to act on the union's behalf. He said Greeff had been dismissed by the union in June last year following his suspension for having contravened Sandu's constitution.

Peter said the union was informed on Monday night that Tuesday's meeting with George had been postponed. Peter said the union had agreed to meet later with the ministry.

Sandu is the only union entitled to bargain with the defence force as it has more than 15000 members. The South African Security Forces Union has fewer members than the 15000-member threshold required for participation in the bargaining council.

Peter said Sandu and its senior leadership were in no way associated with the actions of Greeff. Greeff is not acting on behalf of this union, he said.

Military union Sandu wants a bargaining council restored.