Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and his defence counterpart, Mosiuoa Lekota, came under fire during the defence budget vote this week, for the apparent lack of adequate funding and the perceived crumbling of discipline in the defence force.

While the National Assembly’s portfolio committee Chairman and ANC MP Thandi Thobias lashed out at Manuel for holding back the pennies, the Inkatha Freedom Party called for Lekota’s resignation citing his apparent loss of control over his troops.

“The numerous embarrassing revelations of poor discipline and lack of proper command and control in the South African National Defence Force over the past few years point to a growing crisis in the defence force,” IFP MP Velaphi Ndlovu told MPs.

He said that 80 South African soldiers serving abroad were facing 117 charges and that, between April 2005 and September 2006, local military police had to deal with 1 106 cases of theft, 391 house burglaries and 272 cases of assault against soldiers.

These figures, added to the fact that the United Nations claimed South African soldiers were responsible for 26% of all sex crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo where they were serving as peacekeepers, were embarrassing.

“What is urgently needed is for the minister to display the political will and courage by taking stronger control of the SANDF,” Ndlovu said.

If he was unable or unwilling to take stronger command then he should step aside, thus making way for another more capable mini-ster.

Tobias, meanwhile, added her voice to a number of opposition parties who decried the scant budget with which Manuel expected the SANDF to carry out peacekeeping duties on the continent.

Mandate

“I wish that the honourable minister of finance was here today to hear what the committee was going to say when it pleads with him to augment the budget in the near future.”

She said the R25.9 billion – which was expected to grow to R28.6 billion over the medium-term expenditure framework – was not adequate for the SANDF to fulfill its regional peacekeeping and disaster management mandate.

Apart from sending troops to a number of African countries, the SANDF has again been called to assist flood victims in Mozambique.

Tobias argued that peacekeeping missions were not just about putting boots on the ground, but was intertwined with building long-lasting peace and security.

She also urged Lekota to suggest to the cabinet that South Africa purchase an aircraft carrier because no strategic defence procurement package was complete without one.

Saying it would be the “pride of South Africa”, Tobias said that she felt Manuel should give it serious thought.