Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

THE South African Air Force is set to declare ``war'' on the Royal Australian Air Force for poaching its top-gun fighter pilots and technicians.

An angry SAAF chief, Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano, recently phoned his RAAF counterpart, Air Marshal Geoff Shepherd, to tell him to lay off, but was politely told the Australian Defence Force did not poach anyone.

Despite its ``no poaching'' policy, the ADF last year hired 30 highly trained former South African National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel. The RAAF took on 21 pilots, technicians and administrators.

The army picked up seven South Africans, including two chopper pilots, two air-defence officers, an infantry officer, intelligence officer and military policeman.

Even the navy got in on the act hiring a lieutenant commander (warfare officer) and communications technician.

Government policy prohibits the ADF from hiring serving members of foreign defence forces, but that hasn't deterred the South Africans who are drawn to Australia by higher pay, better conditions and lifestyle, and the opportunity to operate the latest military hardware.

They also want to be part of the ADF's high global operational tempo.

``He (Air Marshal Shepherd) stressed the first contact is always made by the foreign military member considering joining the RAAF, in most instances word of mouth and the Defence Jobs website are the catalysts for the approach,'' the RAAF told The Sunday Telegraph.

However, civilian airlines and engineering companies have no such restrictions and use recruiting agents to poach skilled South Africans. White officers are leaving the SANDF in droves in response to what many see as reverse discrimination where black officers are fast-tracked.

But, according to military commentator Helmoed-Romer Heitman, the frustration is also due to poor working and living conditions.

``Many white soldiers, whether they are in specialist service or not, believe that their promotion prospects in the South African Defence Force are very limited,'' he said.

The Weekend Argus newspaper reported South Africa's top brass had warned last April that the rate at which soldiers, sailors, pilots and technicians were being poached posed a serious threat to national security.