Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

What is to be done with these military relics? asks The Herald photojournalist IVOR MARKMAN

THE mystery of the old and obsolete Second World War artillery pieces and armoured vehicles lying in a storage yard near Port Elizabeth’s airport has been resolved. When former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota and SAPS Brig-Gen Harmse briefed the defence portfolio committee in February 2005, they revealed that the old commando system, under which the army helped the police in rural areas, was to be phased out and the bases shut down by 2009. Harmse described the process at the time as ‘functional purification’.

One of the problems created by this decision was what to do with all the obsolete military equipment on display at these bases as informal monuments to the history of the SA National Defence Force. The equipment consists mainly of field artillery, anti-aircraft guns and a few armoured vehicles.

Some of the vehicles and weapons from Eastern Cape bases were taken to the General Support Base, Port Elizabeth, for storage until such time as the future of the equipment could be decided.

Historians, ex-servicemen and others will be able to help preserve the items if Col Piet Hall (retired) and Prof Pat Irwin, of Rhodes University, have their way.

“These guns are important historic artefacts. They represent an important part of South Africa’s historical background and heritage in many respects, and it just seems a great pity to take artefacts like this and scrap them, where in fact future generations will enjoy them enormously,” Irwin said. “There’s an important educational role for people for what happened in the past.

“The condition of the guns there varies enormously. Some of them are barely retrievable, but if one cannibalised them, you could probably build up a complete (example) of the two main types there,” he said.

Hall said some ex-service organisations had expressed a keen interest in restoring and displaying the old equipment.

He said many members had the expertise necessary to turn the items into beautiful static display pieces. He emphasised that key parts, such as firing pins, had already been removed from the weapons and they would not be able to fire.

“Besides,” he said, “where will you get the ammunition? They haven’t made any for years now and it’s no longer available.”

Hall emphasised that the equipment needed to be looked after. “Unless we do something pretty soon it’s going to be too late.”

According to SANDF spokesman Brig-Gen KD Mangope, the artillery pieces were withdrawn to Port Elizabeth for safekeeping as part of normal closing down processes.

“The items were withdrawn to ensure their care, pending a disposal investigation. There was a concern that these items would be subject to vandalism and theft if left unattended.

“The (Department of Defence) does not dispose of any item without going through a comprehensive investigation in accordance with DoD and Treasury regulations,” he said.

Mangope said disposal by means of a donation was an acceptable option to interested parties.

“All applicable legislation, including the National Heritage Resources Act, must be taken into account when reaching a finding.

“Donation of obsolete equipment to museums has taken place in the past, subject to due process,” he said.