Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Yesterday, the leadership of the Department of Defence (DoD) and members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) converged on the Simon’s Town Naval Base in Cape Town where the South African Navy (SAN) hosted a parade marking the change of command of the SAS Isandlwana.

Captain Karl Wiesner handed over the command to Captain Bubele Kitie “Bravo” Mhlana. He thus became the first African black to take command of a South African Navy frigate.

SAS Isandlwana is the second of the four recently acquired Meko A-200 frigates – the other three being the SAS Amatola, SAS Spioenkop, and SAS Mendi, to be commissioned in Port Elizabeth on March 20.

The process of qualifying for naval command of a vessel such as a frigate, is long and arduous.

It demands both considerable intellectual growth and development, and an intensive effort and dedication on the part of the aspirant commander.

While command of the so-called small ships is an honour bestowed on the greater percentage of successful combat officers, the command of the Meko A-200 is limited to those who truly excel, and who have indicated through the history of their performance that they have the required intellectual potential and psychological resilience to deal with the demanding nature of the command.

In addition to his previous command of SAS Kapa, Mhlana’s experience includes successful completion of the Principal Warfare Officers Course in the United Kingdom as well as participation in international naval exercises.

Bravo is one of the successful graduates for the command of the new equipment acquired under the Special Defence Packages (SDPs) in the same manner as Captain Catherine Labuschagne was the SANDF’s first woman fighter pilot to fly the Gripen.

This again was testimony to the fact that the DoD has a place for all irrespective of their race, gender and culture.

When Captain Wiesner handed over command of SAS Isandlwana to Captain Mhlana, he did so knowing that he was handing command to a fellow sailor, a compatriot in arms in the ranks of the SANDF, and a fellow officer of proven capabilities and was proud that the time had arrived for his comrade to take over.

Captain Wiesner has held command within the Fast Attack Craft (missile) environment.

He was appointed as the first Officer Commanding of SAS Isandlwana and was responsible for ensuring her safe delivery voyage from Germany to South Africa.

In addition, he studied at the United States Naval War College.

Captain Wiesner is a career naval officer with a future in the DoD.

He is not about to leave now or in the very near future.

He has commenced with the Executive National Strategic Programme (ENSP) – a premier programme of the DoD aimed at developing strategic leaders.

After that, he will assume duty at the Navy Office in Pretoria and work in the combat capability development environment.

This case shows that a significant number of white people actively participate in the transformation of the DoD to ensure that South Africa is a better place for all.

It is, however, undeniable that a country whose population is predominantly black and female, should have these demographics fairly and emphatically reflected in the various professions and skills within an institution such as the SANDF.

The transformation of the State institutions and society is an imperative that we have to respond to in a planned and constructive manner.

In the case of the uniformed members of the DoD, the mechanism adopted as a response to this imperative is the Mobility Exit Mechanism (MEM).

The MEM takes into account the interests of both the employer and employee.

Alongside MEM is the Voluntary Initiated Severance Package (VISP) in terms of which civilian members of the DoD leave the Department voluntarily after an agreement has been negotiated.

I need to emphasise that these mechanisms are open and applicable to all race and gender groups.

The transformation of the SANDF and society is an ongoing process seeking to achieve an equitable South African society – so much yearned for by our forefathers.

Failure to transform the political, economic, social, and cultural landscape of our country would be a betrayal of our own consciences, of those who paid the supreme price for the liberation and freedom of this country, of our children and of many generations to come after us.

It is left to our children, living in a free and democratic South Africa, to complete the foundation we have laid in our lifetime.

n Mosiuoa Lekota is Minister of Defence and national chairperson of the African National Congress.