Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

La Cour européenne des droits de l'homme (CEDH) a déclaré irrecevable, lundi 30 mars, le recours d'un officier mauritanien, Ely Ould Dah, condamné par défaut à dix ans de réclusion criminelle par la cour d'assises de Nîmes, en 2005, pour des actes de torture et de barbarie commis en Mauritanie. Elle consacre ainsi le principe de compétence universelle qui permet de juger dans n'importe quel pays l'auteur de faits, en violation de certains textes internationaux.

This withering assessment of the country’s armed forces is in a report by parliament’s portfolio and joint standing committees on defence. The report was based on a three-day briefing last November on the army, navy, air force and military health services.

The committees say government needs to decide whether the SANDF is funding-driven or mandate-driven. “A decision has to be made at the highest level whether ... the SANDF will be relevant and be a national asset properly and adequately funded ... or whether it will continue its current downward spiral.”

Committee members seem divided on the combat readiness of the SANDF. Democratic Alliance MP and defence committee member Rafeek Shah says: “We are not combat ready, we have a long way to go to rejuvenate the (land-based) forces.” Committee chairman and ANC MP Somangamane Ntuli says the SANDF is combat ready, the question is whether it can sustain operations.

There is no doubt that the army, in particular, has been underfunded for years. Many of the acquisitions under the multimillion-rand arms deal were big-ticket items for the navy and air force. The army has been surviving with obsolescent vehicles from the 1980s, and there is little money available for training. The overall defence budget has been declining in real terms for years.

The committee calls for an increase in spending on defence from 1,2% of GDP to 1,7% over the next four years. But such proposals are bound to be questioned. DA MP Eddie Trent recently asked the department for details on the purchase of a ground-to-air missile system. In 2007 it was expected to cost R999m. That could have doubled. Shah says the DA supports increased spending on basic equipment and personnel, but not on a “shopping spree”.

Another area of major concern is the underfunded Reserve Force (RF), which provides the bulk of SA’s land-based capability. The committees want the RF to take part in full conventional exercises every three years, with the training budget ring-fenced.

On the retention of scarce skills, the committees recommend a special dispensation for pay and retention of pilots and other specialists.

Armoured vehicle 1986 vintage Time to upgrade

The Easter weekend, which falls between 10 and 13 April, is a notoriously busy period on the country's roads. There are two public holidays and schools are usually closed over this period.

"The N1 towards Polokwane, especially the road to Moria City and to Beit Bridge, will be heavily policed. The N3 to the coastal city of Durban and N1 to Free State, Western and Eastern Cape will be no exception," said Transport Minister Jeff Radebe.

He was speaking at the launch of the 2009 Arrive Alive Easter campaign in Witbank on Monday.

The minister said Gauteng, which was home to 40 percent of South Africa's vehicle population, would also be busy with many leaving the province and making their way to holiday destinations.

The department would count on the combined efforts of traffic authorities, including the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the emergency services.

Traffic volumes are expected to start picking up on Thursday, 9 April from about 10am and will continue until about midnight that night. On 10 April, traffic volumes will start increasing early in the morning and will return back to normal after midday.

Minister Radebe said the return traffic to various provinces would commence with worshippers from Moria City on Sunday, and all other main routes were expected to be extremely busy throughout that Monday.

Motorists have been urged to stagger their travelling, especially in areas such as in Mpumalanga, along the N4, where there are major road works or toll gates or border gates.

Last year, the Easter road death toll was reduced by 23.8 percent from a total of 319 in 2007 to 243 in 2008.

Minister Radebe said this year government would continue to increase respect for human life and treat road fatalities with the seriousness it deserved.

"Each and every death on our roads is one too many and each and every death or serious injury is a tragedy for the individuals, their families and communities and for the nation," he said.

According to the Minister, more than 90 percent of deaths on the roads follow a traffic violation - therefore it was a serious crime.

The department through its Military Skills Development System (MSDS), is looking at giving youngsters who achieved good marks in school but have been unable to further their studies at tertiary institutions or had to drop out due to financial constraints a chance.

The MSDS is aimed at rejuvenating the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), providing it with scarce skills as well as serving as a feeder system for the Defence Reserves.

The system will in turn, improve the rank-age profile of the SANDF.

During the department's tour in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape where hundreds of youth packed the Umthatha Town Hall to enlist with the SANDF on Friday, 21-year-old Sifundo Zwelakhe said he was happy about the prospects of going back to university to finish his degree and helping the department at the same time.

Mr Zwelakhe was forced to drop out of his studies at Walter Sisulu University where he was pursuing a career in quantity surveying when his parents ran out of funds.

"My parents did everything possible to help me but eventually, I had to pack my bags and return home without any qualification. I couldn't have been more disappointed."

However, he met the requirements of the MSDS and will now be able to return to school.

The department's nation-wide MSDS marketing tour was launched at Manguzi in northern KwaZulu-Natal a month ago.

It is largely focused on rural areas, attracting talented young people into the scarce skills professions such as pilots, engineers, professional health workers, naval combat officers, airspace controllers and technicians.

Like Mr Zwelakhe who achieved an A in Mathematics, the department has found many students who become part of the unemployment statistics because of lack of information.

"Our focus to the rural areas is to respond to the challenges of lack of information facing rural communities," Mr Sam Mkhwanazi, the Ministry's spokesperson said.

Ndumiso Sepepa from Umsobomvu in the Eastern Cape commended the programme, saying it brings hope to the youth of the country.

He added that a strong partnership between the department and youth structures such as Umsobomvu was important to ensure that more young people were reached.

The department's MSDS recruitment drive visited Lusikisiki and Flag Staff on Saturday and Highflats at Phungashe on Sunday.

The MSDS supports government's focus on sustainable development opportunities for South Africa's youth.

To be considered, applicants must be South African citizens and between the age of 18 and 22. One must have at least a Grade 12 certificate, preferably with good symbols in Maths and Science.

Graduate applicants can not be older than 26, must have a recognised university degree or diploma. If accepted, one must be willing to relocate and have no criminal record and comply with medical fitness.

Just days after vowing to send the army into Cape Town to crush a threatened strike by taxi bosses, tough mayor and opposition leader Helen Zille says she will task the South African National Defence Force with hunting down and destroying the people who told her that her hairstyle was fabulous and who taught her a series of hip-hop dance moves.

Zille’s threat to use the army to enforce law and order in the ongoing taxi dispute has raised eyebrows, not least within the armed forces who say they never signed on to do any actual fighting.

According to SANDF spokesperson Brigadier Daisy Makwetla of the 110th Padded Immobile Infantry, the army was reluctant to confront taxi bosses as they were “flipping dangerous”.

She added that any kind of major operation in the city would also severely disrupt the SANDF’s capacity to continue eating sausage rolls and playing dominos.

However, this morning Helen Zille’s spokesman, Thabo Token-Black, confirmed that the mayor was determined to see justice prevail.

“Obviously with the election so close we don’t want to make any alarmist statements,” he said.

“But I don’t think it would be out of line to suggest that taxi owners are about to meet with Helen’s good friend, Pain.”

He confirmed that she was also briefing military commanders about a potential surgical strike against her hairstylist and a freelance dance instructor named Faisal.

“Nobody wants to point fingers, least of us all,” he explained. “But you’ve seen the footage of the hair and the dancing. People need to die.”

Asked what the DA’s message to voters would be over the next few weeks, Token-Black said it would be a message of respect and tolerance.

“Except for Maurice of Hackles Glam Parlour. And his little dog. And Faisal, who said he could turn Helen into Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas in three sessions. And Faisal’s homey Abdol who told Helen the hip-hop hand wave would look totally bitchin’.

“They need to run and hide, because there’s a world of hurt coming their way. Helen’s coming to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and she’s all out of gum.”

Zille could not be reached for further comment as she had reportedly taken the DA’s senior leadership on a 30km forced march on thorns to “root out the weak and fling their carcasses to the jackals”, or to ask them to resign, whichever seemed more appropriate at the time.

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The right-wing Herstigte Nasionale Party has named deceased former leader Jaap Marais as its presidential candidate in the election, saying that he embodies the state of the party.

The HNP was founded in 1969 in protest against the apartheid government’s “pansy-assed liberal” policy of using only semi-automatic weapons on black civilians.

The announcement was made this morning as the HNP’s four active members celebrated the party’s 40th anniversary at its headquarters in the stands of the Middelburg Muni-cipal Dog Track.

Marais, who regularly referred to B J Vorster as “that Jew-loving homo”, died in 2000 when an ox-wagon he was tuning slipped off its jack and crushed him. His death was a body blow to the party that had once denounced P W Botha as a “Communist fornicator hell-bent on forcing Satan’s teat – television – into the pink mouths of our white babies”.

A bitter power struggle ensued, during which the remaining six members sent each other curdled milk-tarts and bottles of fig jam with lids too tight to open. However, the deaths of two more members – both from strokes after accidental exposure to SABC1 – has reportedly unified the party.

Speaking to journalists this morning, HNP spokesman Wolraad Strond said there had been only one suitable candidate to contest the election.

“We had a long look at the party, and we brainstormed some words to describe it,” he said. “It was mostly stuff like ‘under ground’, ‘dead’, ‘buried’, that kind of thing.”

And obviously Jaap represents all of that really well. “Plus he’s really patient,” said Strond.

“If he loses this time round he’s happy to wait until 2014. He’s not going anywhere.”

Strond conceded the party might miss the election altogether as it was struggling to raise the R500 000 deposit required by the IEC.

“It’s going slower than we hoped.” Jaap Marais could not be reached for comment as he was dead.

Ekurhuleni businessman and former Umkhonto weSizwe combatant Mpho Phatlane was a tireless soldier who never gave up the fight, even during tough times.

Born in Wattville, Benoni, on March 12 1974, Phatlane attended Lesabe Primary School and then went to Etwatwa High.

He was inducted into the pioneers sector when he was 12 and from there on never looked back.

He later joined the Wattville Students Congress and Wattville Youth Congress.

He was recruited by the ANC in exile and went on to join Umkhonto weSizwe. He was trained in Uganda in guerrilla warfare and conventional warfare strategy.

On his graduation, he was placed as a member of the Mandela detachment under political commissar Abbey Sishuba.

He later became the political education officer.

Phatlane returned to South Africa in 1994 and was integrated into the the new SANDF.

He was stationed at Hoedspruit training base in Mpumalanga where he started as an infantry rifleman and later became an officer in the logistics division.

In 1997, he took advantage of black economic empowerment and quit the army to pursue business.

He became an instant success in the road construction sector.

Because of his hard work, there are many more streets in Ekurhuleni.

His friend and MKMVA colleague Chris Shongwe remembers him for his boisterous manner and patriotic spirit.

He believed in the unity of black organisations and “always preached that we must prevent political clashes in KwaThema.

He was instrumental in the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the ANCYL, PAC, Azapo and BCM in the late 1990s in Wattville”.

Phatlane will be buried tomorrow at the Heroes’ Acre at Phumulani Cemetery in Daveyton after a service at Stompie Skhosana Community Hall.

The service will start at 8.30am and the cortege will leave for the cemetery at 11am.

He leaves behind his wife and a baby boy.

Soccer boss Irvin Khoza was inaugurated as an “honorary colonel” in the South African National Defence Force yesterday.

Khoza is chairperson of Fifa’s Local Organising Committee, the PSL, Orlando Pirates and vice president of the South African Football Association (Safa).

Among those at the event were Kaizer Chiefs’ boss Kaizer Motaung – and top businessman and ANC national executive committee member Tokyo Sexwale.

Khoza, who was in full military regalia, said: “I feel profoundly privileged to have been offered the rank of honorary colonel of the logistics division of the South African Defence Force and I humbly accept.

“I stand as a proud but humble protégé of an army of men and women whose shoes are too large for me to fill.

“Never did I dream that one day I would stand proud, in full uniform, of the army of the people.

“I’m deeply honoured to stand here today and be a part of what future generations will look back at as a generation that put this great nation back on a path of progress,” said Khoza.

“There are now 450 days remaining until the opening match of the Fifa World Cup, to be played on June 11.

“Our preparations for the tournament are well advanced. They are unfolding so well that they could be said to have been planned with military precision.”

SANDF director of physical training General Aubrey Sedibe said it was a blessing to “open opportunities for defence force football” by revitalising their relationship with Safa.

The ID has renewed its call for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to question Chippy Shaik, brother of recently released Schabir.

Shamin “Chippy” Shaik, chief of acquisitions for the SANDF during the arms deal, announced in May 2007 that he was leaving for Australia. He left the country amid a number of allegations that were made about him in news reports relating to the arms deal. The allegations made him decide to start his life again elsewhere, he said at the time.

Now, the ID has renewed its call for Shaik to be questioned. “We… have it on good authority that Chippy Shaik is back… and we call on the NPA to act immediately,” ID leader Patricia de Lille said.

IT was squeaky-clean planes, pressed uniforms and a display of the best of the best as the police and army put on a display of their readiness to secure the national air space for the 2010 World Cup spectacle.

Dubbed “Exercise Shield 3”, the joint operations exercise, which began yesterday, will involve four stadiums in Gauteng and the North West and will be wrapped up on Friday.

Restrictions of 15 nautical miles for flights in certain air spaces are in place over stadiums in Joburg, Pretoria and Rustenburg.

According to SAPS Director David Garnett, senior operations planner for 2010, weekly discussions with Fifa staff and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) have given a thumbs-up to military and police preparedness training to date.

“We have hosted 141 major events since 1994 and we believe that we will be ready to ensure that visitors, fans and locals are safe and that they enjoy the games,” said Garnett.

The SANDF and SAPS simulation exercise at Swartkops airbase yesterday was the first of its kind for the national joint operations structures. It featured a staged hijacking of an aircraft and showed fighter planes forcing the mock hijacked plane to land before securing the release of hostages.

On board the Cessna were radio personalities Gareth Cliff and Darren “Whackhead” Simpson, who played the part of hostages.

In the simulation the dog unit and bomb disposal units, with remote-controlled robots in tow, were on hand as a show of strength.

While the SAPS said the cost of exercises could not be accurately quantified, Garnett said: “It is a billion or two.”

Garnett was cagey about specific threats identified, but he did mention forged tickets, hooliganism and organised crime as some of the key issues that had topped the agenda.

“We review the threats on an ongoing basis and we assess what is happening in the world at any time that could impact on our preparations,” he said.

However, it is the general fear of crime and personal safety that will probably keep tourists from making the trip down south for the Confederation Cup, which kicks off in June, or for the World Cup next year.

Garnett acknowledged this but said about 40 000 police officers would be deployed during the World Cup and that key tourist areas, from the Kruger National Park to taxi ranks, would receive an extra look-in.

“We will step up our operational resources to ensure that tourists do feel safe and that they have a safe and enjoyable World Cup,” he said.

The operational exercises, such as the one at Swartkops, will move to Mpumalanga next and then to KwaZulu-Natal, after which a national review will be done before the Confederations Cup.

During Exercise Shield 3, Idols judge and 5fm radio presenter Gareth Cliff and Maurice Carpede from 94.2 Jacaranda FM were dragged out of a briefing by two armed masked men and forced into a South African Police Service's (SAPS) Cessna Sovereign Citation jet at Swartkops air force base outside Pretoria.

During the drama, the South African Air Force (SAAF) scrambled two Hawks which intercepted the hijacked plane and forced it to the ground where police vehicles and emergency personnel were waiting to assist the injured.

The hijackers had no option but to give in and land the plane. Fully armed Special Task Force and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members cautiously and strategically surrounded the plane and negotiations began.

After the intensive hostage negotiations, victims were freed and the hijackers were immediately arrested with the help of members of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

To avoid unanticipated explosions, police deployed trained dogs to search bags and parcels for any explosives. An armed robot, operated via remote control, was also sent in to thoroughly search the parcels.

Despite the bad weather, the joint exercise between the SAPS, the SANDF, NIA, SAAF and government departments left international reporters, Cabinet ministers and visitors stunned as it revealed South Africa's security skills and readiness for both world acclaimed events.

The thrilling exercise was part of honing security-related skills to ensure a safe environment in host cities and other areas during major events, including securing the national airspace.

Speaking to BuaNews after the exercise, SAPS National Deputy Commissioner, Andrea Pruis said the exercise proved that the country's national law enforcement agencies were prepared for any security risks that could arise during the upcoming international soccer events.

He said the safety and security measures employed by the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure will leave many surprised.

"We are prepared and we can assure the whole world that our safety and security plans will effectively make South Africa a crime free zone during the 2010 Soccer World Cup and 2009 Confederations Cup."

According to SAPS spokesperson, Director Sally de Beer, the operation is considered to be an excellent training opportunity for the security personnel to be deployed during the two international events.

More than R665 million has been used to purchase essential equipment, including six SAPS new helicopters with systematic cameras, 92 route vehicles and other essential equipment for the Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

During these two events, thousands of security forces will be strategically deployed to every corner of the country to ensure that visitors and citizens are effectively protected.

Despite the South African National Defence Force’s having no budget for the vital role it is expected to play in securing the Fifa Confederations Cup and 2010 soccer World Cup, security for the events is on track.

The claim by the police was made yesterday after a hi-tech police and military simulation, dubbed Exercise Shield 3, aimed at rehearsing a rescue of a group of “hostages” held at gunpoint in a hijacked|aircraft.

Using multibillion-rand security, including fighter jets and helicopters, heavily armed police from the special task force and national intervention unit and the SANDF’s special forces stormed the aircraft and “rescued terrified hostages” on the runway of Air Force Base Zwartkop.

Police officers said they were ready for anything.

“We are in control. Everything in relation to security is being controlled by us. The only thing we are not in control of is the weather,” said Director David Garnett, the SAPS senior operations planner for the 2010 tournament.

Describing the SAPS’s readiness to secure the tournaments, Garnett said it was all systems go.

This was despite Defence Minister Charles Nqakula’s having said last week that the defence force had yet to secure a budget for its role in helping to secure the competitions.

“Obviously our plans are work in progress and continuously being adapted as threat analyses change, but in the end we will be ready and… our members (will be) fully resourced to police the games,” said Garnett. To date no threats had been discovered in relation to the hosting of the tournaments.

Asked for his advice to tourists planning on visiting South Africa for the tournaments, Garnett said they should not be afraid.

“You will be safe whether you are in our stadiums, cities, game parks or on our streets. We have devised plans which will see an additional 35 000 to 40 000 police members taking to the streets, beaches and stadiums to ensure that spectators, officials and teams are safe.

“South Africa’s law enforcement and security agencies have been described as some of the world’s best when it comes to securing sporting events… and we are not going to let our reputation and image be tarnished.

“We are leaving nothing to chance and constantly ensuring through various international law enforcement agencies such as Interpol that we are abreast of any security related issues,” he said.

He added that South African authorities were not working in isolation when it came to the securing of the competitions. International partners were also helping.

“We have been given access to various databases, including those with the details of soccer hooligans, and want to warn those contemplating causing any trouble whatsoever, from riots to terrorist attacks, that they will be dealt with harshly.

“We have more than one security plan which is interoperable with other security initiatives to ensure that this is the most secure World Cup soccer tournament,” he said.

While declining to elaborate in detail on security plans, Garnett said they involved the use of rapid reaction units which would be assigned to each host city as well as major tourist destinations.

The units would include members of the SAPS special task force, which is trained in counter-terrorism, the national intervention unit, counter-assault team, area crime combating units and the SANDF’s special forces.

These teams will be constantly supplied, through both covert and overt surveillance measures, with intelligence on threats as well as information on potential suspects in the country.

The trial of an SANDF member accused of murdering his wife and three children was postponed in the Thohoyandou high court.

Meshack Kharivhe is facing four counts of murder for allegedly hacking to death Winisani Kharivhe, 28, Zwonaka, 9, Thendo, 3, and nine-month-old baby Maduvha at his home last April.

The accused indicated yesterday that he would conduct his own defence.

Meanwhile, the same court sentenced Michael Mandiwana to 32 years in jail for murdering two students at Ralson Tshinane Secondary School in Ngovhela last year.

Mandiwana, 26, shot and killed his ex-girlfriend Ndivhuwo Tshikororo, 17, and her boyfriend Mbulungeni Mudau, 19.

He accused Mudau of interfering in their relationship.

On the political front, the early removal of South African President Thabo Mbeki has significantly raised the country's political risk profile, with potentially negative implications for longer-term growth and external credit ratings. In our view, Thabo Mbeki's early resignation on September 20 2008 will significantly accelerate the transformation of South Africa's political landscape over the coming year, with rising short- and longer-term risks to political stability and policy continuity lying ahead. Although the recent acquittal of Jacob Zuma on corruption charges decreased the risk of violent protests and therefore merited an increase in our short-term political risk ratings, Mbeki's ousting has elevated the threat of snap elections and even a break-up of the African National Congress (ANC) into two parties.

Consequently, we have revised our short-term political risk ratings from 67.5 to 61.3.

It is noteworthy that, due to high borrowing costs and weaker external demand, we forecast that real GDP growth will remain subdued during the remainder of 2008 and the first two quarters of 2009. However, expected monetary easing from Q209 onwards, an improvement in external conditions and rising economic activity in the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup are likely to lift economic growth again beyond the 5% mark in 2010. In our view, South Africa's frail electricity sector will remain the main risk to economic expansion over the longer term. As a proportion of GDP and total government expenditure, defence spending in South Africa is miniscule.

South Africa's defence industry has undergone significant adjustments with the lifting of the arms embargos which has led to increased competition from foreign companies. With the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) no longer a captive customer of the sector, companies have had to lay off large sections of their workforce, leading to dwindling numbers. Recent procurement packages - instituted since about the middle of the present decade - may be the first step in reversing this trend.

However, arms imports should increase substantially with the delivery of the major weapons platforms recently ordered by the government, particularly with the recent normalisation of relations between the US and South Africa. The future of the South African defence industry depends on its successful breaking into international markets. Joint ventures (JVs) will aid the country in gaining a technological lead in key areas. Currently, the biggest single long-term problem within the defence industry is the lack of research and development (R&D), funding and policy. Arms exports are proving a more vital area of sales for South African defence companies, and should remain the main driver of any growth in the industry.

Encouraging figures from key defence companies seem to suggest that the defence industry is growing and making inroads into international export markets.

A quick gloss of the industry leaders reveals a handful of significant players. Formerly the manufacturing division of Armscor, South Africa's arms procurement entity Denel was established in 1992. Inheriting much of Armscor's production and research facilities, Denel was for a time the largest defence company in South Africa, employing over 10,500 people - a figure that has dropped to under 8,000. Other companies with a major presence in the defence industry include BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa, African Defence Systems (ADS), Grintek Defence & Technologies, Reutech and civil and military aviation industry specialist Aerosud.

THE SANDF will receive a sizeable chunk of the security budget for contingency planning before the World Cup, according to Defence Minister Charles Nqakula.

Speaking in Cape Town last week, Nqakula said although there was no allocated SANDF budget for 2010, he was “discussing” the matter with the national Treasury, and the SANDF would be allocated “a sizeable share” of the 2010 security budget soon.

Nqakula’s statement came after the SANDF failed to receive a single cent from the budget to help with security at next year’s soccer tournament.

Spokesman Sam Mkhwa-nazi said the SANDF had been somewhat overlooked in the 2010 security budget.

Large chunk of security budget promised

THE SANDF would receive a sizeable chunk of the security budget for contingency planning ahead of the World Cup in spite of having been overlooked when the 2010 budget was first divided up, said Defence Minister Charles Nqakula.

Speaking in Cape Town this week, Nqakula said although there was no allocated SANDF budget for 2010, he was “discussing” the matter with the National Treasury, and the SANDF would be allocated “a sizeable share” soon.

Nqakula’s statement came after the SANDF failed to receive a single cent from the budget to help with security at next year’s soccer tournament.

Ministerial spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi told the Cape Argus that the SANDF had been somewhat overlooked when the 2010 security budget had been divided, with the majority going to the police.

“At the moment, the minister is discussing this matter with National Treasury,” said Mkhwanazi.

“We can’t disclose the exact amount that we will be allocated, but the minister has indicated that it will be a sizeable amount.”

The revelation that the SANDF had no 2010 budget was made by the defence force’s chief of joint operations, Lieutenant-General Themba Matanzima, in a briefing to the media last month.

He said the SANDF needed about R350 million for its contingency planning budget to help it secure the international soccer showpiece.

It is not known why the defence force has not yet been allocated part of the 2010 security budget, the majority of which is believed to be earmarked for specialised equipment and logistics needed for operations.

The SANDF is expected to protect the country’s skies and coast, assist the police when necessary and man joint operation control centres for both the Confederations Cup and next year’s Fifa World Cup.

In his 2009 Budget speech Finance Minister Trevor Manuel repeated the government’s commitment to making additional policing capacity available during the World Cup.

This would also be used to “increase safety and security presence at border posts”, said Manuel.

The SAPS will spend|R640m on the deployment of 41 000 officers specifically for the event and R665m on the|procurement of special|equipment.

Multitudes of international air carriers have increased their number of flights to South Africa. This as more tourists flock in after South Africa was awarded the rights to host the 2010 World Cup.

tourists just love us

Despite the economic crunch that has lashed out at the entire world, more tourists seem not to mind forking out to scan our shores. South African Tourism have revealed that there has been a 5.5% increase in the number of tourists coming to South Africa.

security experts assist

After what happened at an Absa Premier League match between Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at Coca Cola Park, it comes as a relief that authorities are taking stadium security seriously. They have awarded the rights to train stadium security personnel for 2010 to a football stadium safety company in the UK.

safa advertise confed

The South African Football Association have taken it upon themselves to come on board and help advertise the Confederations Cup. They say they will use the Nelson Mandela Peace Challenge to get fans excited about this event as well as educate them about stadium seating arrangements.

legends market sa

Soccer legends are also staring to be more vigorous in advertising the Confederations and World Cups. This as Phil Masinga and Mark Fish jet to East Africa next week to let it be known that South Africa will host a successful Confederation and World Cups.

zille not for violence

Cape Town mayor Helen Zille says threats of violence have no place in our country. She was speaking after the National Taxi Alliance walked out of a presentation that was to detail how South Africa can have a better transport system. The Taxi Alliance are unhappy with the Integrated Rapid Transit System and have demonstrated their disapproval by staging strikes in the past.

hayatou’s dreams

Issa Hayatou, the president of Caf, says he hopes and believes that an African country can go all the way to the finals come 2010. This sentiment has been echoed by many leaders and legends across Africa.

sandf’s preparations

The SA National Defence Force are still busy with their security preparations for the Confed and 2010.

South Africa's ineffective border patrol is of grave concern and poses a threat to the country's security, a report by Parliament's portfolio committee on defence said on Thursday.

The report on the State of Readiness of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) found that the current budgetary allocation for the department of defence was inadequate to address its operational challenges.

"The current ineffective border patrol is a matter of grave concern for the portfolio committee and poses a threat to the security of our country and our people with millions of people flowing unchecked into and out of our country," the report said.

"This crisis must be addressed urgently by the responsible departments, including a possible future role for the department of defence."

The portfolio committee on defence reached its conclusions after a series of closed meetings with the defence department.

The committee recommended that the annual budget allocation for the defence department be raised from the current 1.2 percent to 1.7 percent of the gross domestic product during the next four years.

"All possible efforts should be made to ensure that the current limited resources are effectively directed to national defence priorities," the report said.

The committee found that the SANDF had come to a "cross road" on whether it should remain a finance-driven defence force or change to a mandate-driven defence force.

A decision needed to be made at the highest level on whether the future of the SANDF would be relevant or "whether it will continue its current downward spiral of becoming inadequate to fulfil its constitutional mandate".

The city will be filing an application in court before the end of the week for an eviction order for the remaining refugees at the Blue Waters safety camp near Strandfontein.

Pieter Cronjé, spokesman for the City of Cape Town, said there were 396 refugees at Blue Waters and 64 at the Youngsfield military base, even though the camps had been closed.

He said that while the city, the province and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) were still assisting people with either relocation or re-integration, many of the remaining refugees had refused all offers. So far the cost to the city had been R120 million. To date they had only recovered R17m from national government Cronjé said .

Cronjé said they would not use force, but would rather allow the legal process to take its course.

He said that once the application had been filed with the Cape High Court, the sheriff would advise the refugees, who would then have 10 weekdays – days in which the court was in session – in which to indicate whether they wanted to defend the action or not.

“If they do want to defend it, they will have 15 working days in which to file their affidavit and the city, as the applicant, would be given 10 days to file an answering one.”

The registrar would then set a date for the court to hear the matter.

Cronjé said the eviction would only apply to Blue Waters because it was municipal property. The SANDF would need to take legal action on the Youngsfield refugee camp.

But Braam Hanekom of People Against Suffering, Suppression, Oppression and Poverty (Passop) had appealed to the city not to evict the refugees until after the elections in the interests of stability in the Western Cape.

l This week the Tshwane Metro Council bulldozed the last remaining refugee camp in Akasia outside Pretoria and the Department of Home Affairs shut down its refugee processing centre at Musina, a move that was denounced by international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) who said 3 000 to 4 000 Zimbabweans queued to apply for asylum and sought refuge there each night.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is digging in its heels against UN demands for troops needed to defend fragile peace accords across Africa.

This was revealed during a briefing by the SANDF’s Joint Operations Division held in Pretoria.

South Africa currently has 2 825 troops ranging from military observers to peacekeepers deployed in various UN and African Union missions across Africa, with 1 130 of the forces currently stationed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In a no-holds-barred statement, senior defence force officers said that undue pressure was being put on South Africa to “continuously” supply troops to peacekeeping missions in Africa without the UN living up to its side of agreements.

“While it is an honour to be requested to send troops as it is a sign of the respect the UN has for the defence force, the types of requests for what our troops are expected to do and the places they are expected to go are ridiculous,” said an army colonel after the briefing.

Adding to the defence force’s anger is that the UN has made few, if any, logistical preparations for the additional troops South Africa is expected to send to defend fragile peace situations in countries such as the DRC, Burundi and Sudan.

South Africa has been asked to increase the number of troops to the UN/AU mission, UNAMID, in Sudan by 150 to 800 soldiers, while in Burundi the number of SA soldiers currently deployed will increase by 123 to 1 100.

There are currently three companies of 650 SANDF peacekeepers in Sudan while in Burundi there are 973 troops who are providing protection to returning leaders of the rebel group the FNL.

Joint Operations Division’s chief director of operations Rear-Admiral Philip Schoultz said: “We have been asked to deploy a company to the DRC and we are ready to send them but the problem is that the base for the troops is not ready.

“This means our troops are now sitting around and waiting for the UN to build the base so that the ‘desperately’ needed troops can be deployed.

“This and the fact that we are putting our soldiers on the line far more often than other nations involved in peacekeeping in Africa is one of the many reasons why we are reluctant to send more troops.”

Schoultz said the situation boiled down to the fact that South Africa’s troops, especially in vast countries such as the DRC, were being overstretched.

“We have got to a situation where we have requested our troops to be removed from the reserve area because our soldiers were deployed over vast terrains in which they were expected to operate with no way of moving around properly because of the hostile environment.

“The UN wants our forces to be turned into the force reserve, which means our troops could be deployed anywhere at anytime in the DRC.

“We have said no and are insisting that our troops be based in a specific area so that we can consolidate our manpower,” he said.

An army source said: “It is about time the UN realises that they cannot ‘abuse’ our troops.

“While our troops are more than prepared and capable to fight in all types of situations, be it the jungle or the desert, certain basic logistical requirements, such as having a base to operate from and using the forces properly instead of scattering them haphazardly across a jungle, need to be met,” said the officer.

SANDF spokesperson Brigadier-General Kwena Mangope confirmed that a request to increase troop strength in the UNAMID peacekeeping mission in the Sudan had been received.

“These numbers will be increased as soon as the UN can accommodate the increased numbers,” he said.

THE Tshwane Metro Council will not claim costs incurred as a result of the xenophobic attacks from the provincial government or the National Treasury, a council spokesman said yesterday.

This comes after the council finally put to rest yesterday the issue of displaced foreigners in Pretoria by closing down the last remaining camp housing the foreign nationals.

According to spokesman Console Tleane, the money used was raised from the council’s various divisions and departments.

“While the city did not budget specifically for the camp there are always funds for disasters and unforeseen circumstances. For instance, the community safety department (metro police, fire brigade and disaster management) will have personnel funds for overtime for those workers who may be called in to work extra hours,” said Tleane.

The same applied to other departments, such as health and social development, which employed health and relief personnel. ”With specific reference to the site (Klerksoord), the major (cost) was that of accommodation. (This was) in the form of tents provided by the SANDF until August 2008. The other costs included waste management, which were also catered for in the contingency allocations. Food was supplied by relief organisations,” he said.

He added that, with the exception of the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG), the city was largely self-sufficient regarding budgets.

Meanwhile, Anel Powell reports that it is unlikely that the National Treasury will reimburse the City of Cape Town for the R100 million spent on shelter and other services for the displaced.

The city’s chief financial officer, Mike Richardson, told the city’s finance portfolio committee that the National Treasury had “evaded” questions about the reimbursement when pressed at a recent meeting.

Richardson said the city had hoped there would be an allocation for the xenophobia costs in the new Division of Revenue Bill announced by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.

But the request for refunding was being ignored by the government and would have to be taken up at provincial level, where there was also a shortfall in funds.

The exercise with other armies from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) will coincide with the SANDF's first decade of involvement in peace-keeping missions.

Called Exercise Golfinho (dolphin in Portuguese), the exercise relates to the establishment of the Africa Standby Force (ASF) and is designed to test SADC's capability in managing complex operations. It will seek to achieve compatibility and integration of procedures and equipment.

The ASF is an African Union initiative requiring that each of the five continental regions must prepare one brigade for peace keeping operations. The aim is that the ASF will be ready for operations by June next year.

The first phase of the ASF project was completed in 2005.

Exercise Golfinho will also involve the police and civilians, including foreign affairs officials and members of national disaster management operations from the SADC region. It began this month with map exercises in Angola, command simulations in Mozambique and naval drills in Namibia .

The final phase -- the September exercise involving SADC armies -- will be run from the army's combat training centre in Lohathla, Northern Cape.

"This is a very large and complex exercise," said Admiral Philip Schoultz, the chief director of operations in the SANDF's Joint Operations division. Participating troops would bring their own hardware, including weaponry and communications equipment.

Preparations for the operation come at a time when the SANDF is busy arranging its involvement in the April general election. The military is on standby to support the police, but it also expects to assist the Independent Electoral Commission with logistical support, particularly transportation, during the national poll.

The SANDF is also involved in security preparations for the June Confederations Cup and the 2010 Soccer World Cup.

SA has close to 3000 soldiers on peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Sudan and the Central African Republic. Since 1994 SA has sought to transform its military -- one of Africa's best-equipped -- into a reputable force for peace. It is the 15th largest contributor of troops to United Nations missions. However, it faces challenges such as a shortage of transport planes . Concerns have also been raised that the SANDF is overstretched, because the deployment of troops requires that several other troop detachments must be available for rotation. Yet for every unit deployed, SA has only three others for relief -- less than half the cover maintained by some countries in Europe.

THE GRANTING OF AMNESTY and the process of reconciliation and reintegration (collectively referred to as "AR2" in this series of articles) are typically post-conflict processes. However, potential belligerents may resort to using aspects of AR2 before armed conflict to avert more widespread bloodshed. Scholars often cite South Africa as a rare example of a nonviolent transition to conciliation between sharply divided elements within a country.1 Since its transition to majority rule, South Africa has held three elections, including the peaceful transfer of power between Presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki. South Africa thus stands as an example of the efficacy of employing the principles of AR2.

During the transition from apartheid to majority rule in the 1990s, South Africa avoided civil war due to a combination of political compromises between the National Party and the African National Congress, the acquiescence of the military, and the need to relieve the war-related pressure on the South African economy. Economic pressures forced the ruling National Party to the negotiating table with its chief rivals in the African National Congress (ANC). The two parties negotiated a compromise through which South Africa became a majority-ruled state and individuals accused of committing politically motivated crimes prior to the transition were granted a full pardon. This compromise could not have been executed without the acquiescence of South Africa's security forces. Unlike in other cases of AR2, the South African military did not serve the "forcing function" of an armed reconciler but instead merely allowed the process to occur.

South Africa is thus a distinctly instructive case because South Africans used the process of AR2 to prevent a war rather than mitigate the effects of one after the fact. Amnesty in South Africa fell under a well-established legal process in which individuals were absolved of criminal or civil prosecution in return for a complete accounting of politically motivated crimes. The agency charged with adjudicating claims of amnesty, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), was designed to be the catalyst for South African reconciliation. The TRC completed its deliberations and delivered its final report in 2003.

The legal process of granting amnesty is now complete in South Africa. While certainly not all South Africans have reconciled with their former opponents, a majority feels some measure of reconciliation a decade after the transition to majority rule. South African reintegration, the process by which all elements of the South African population achieved representation, has occurred in the government and military but has yet to fully occur in the economic realm.