Defence Secretariat, South African National Defence Force & Department of Military Veterans on their 2014 Strategic Plans

Meeting report

Introduction from the Committee Chairperson
The Chairperson welcomed the Department of Defence (DOD) and the Department of Military Veterans (DMV) for their appearance before the Committee. He said Committee Members were public representatives given a mandate to ensure that service delivery happened on the ground. It was not an easy task to defend and protect the country.

Presentation on the 2014/15 budget allocation and 2014 Annual Performance Plans of the Defence Secretariat and South African National Defence Force
Dr Sam Gulube, Secretary of Defence, South African Defence Forces (SANDF) said the Department of Defence was in the process of developing a five strategic plan (2015-2018) in support of Medium Term Strategic Framework that will be tabled in Parliament in February 2015. He said in 2009, members of SANDF started guarding the country’s borders. Members of SANDF were also involved in maritime security along the Mozambican coast as much of South Africa’s trading goods come via sea transport. He said SANDF was in the process of enhancing Landward Defence Capabilities Equipment. The key aims of defence were to ensure that South African were free from the freedom of fear, resolving conflicts peacefully and enhanced state security.

Strategic plans for DOD included; Job creation; Enhancement of SANDF landward defence capabilities working closely with air defence and maritime defence; Revitalisation of reserves; Restructuring and support of defence industry; Enhancing DOD works capability; Training young people to have a pool of young and ready citizens from which DOD and government were able to recruit from; and Transformation of gender representation.

The DOD contributed to the National Development Plan (NDP) by providing disaster relief, supporting the combating of maritime piracy along the East Coast of Africa and strengthening national research and development capacity. It has signed a Memorandum of Understanding Mozambique and Tanzania in the East Coast as well as Namibia and Angola in the West Coast. The DOD was developing a Maritime Strategy because of rising piracy along the East Coast and part of NDP fighting transnational crime. The DOD was strengthening its accounting and auditing practices. It was combating corruption and fraud through an anti-corruption hotline, holding corruption and fraud awareness as well as closing corruption gaps in its procurement processes.

Dr Gulube assured the Committee that the DOD will ensure that the Republic of South Africa was defended and protected at the same time ensuring enhanced civil control of defence. The DOD will conduct ordered commitments in accordance with government policy and strategy by ensuring defence compliance with the regulatory framework. The DOD was involved in disaster management including sea rescue, flooding regions within and outside South Africa. .

Department of Military Veterans Briefing on Performance Plans
Advocate Nandipha Tsaluda, Chief Director Strategic Support Department of Military Veterans (DMV) said amendments will be made to the Military Veterans Act in relation to benefits provisioning. The DMV was pushing for the finalisation of the following major delivery policies

- Public Transport for Military Veterans

- Military Veterans Social Relief of Distress

- Military Veterans Pension

- Military Veterans Heritage

- Stakeholder Management

The executive authority priorities included:

1) A fully function DMV with an independent budget vote and systems

2) Provision of social relief of distress to the most vulnerable military veterans (MV)

3) To provide comprehensive support service to MVs and where applicable to their dependents not limited to education, housing, burial supports and subsidisation of public transport.

4) To promote empowerment programmes for MVs

5) The promotion of MV heritage as well as memorialisation and honouring  the establishment of the unknown soldier, restoration of liberation war graves of liberation war veterans and establishment of a heroes/heroine acre

6) Strengthening governance and oversight protocols to give effect to the provision of the Act
 

Advocate Tsaluda said that since the establishment of the DMV in 2009, the National Treasury had never allocated it money for benefits for military veterans such as housing and education for their dependents. The first time was in the 2013/14 financial year, but before the DMV could access the funds, there were certain regulations that needed to be approved, which was only done in February 2014. This meant that it was left with a month to spend that money for its 2013/14 Annual Performance Plans

Discussion
Mr G Michalakis (DA, Free State) said in the 2013/14 there were plans for new military training. He asked what the plans entailed and when they were expected to be enforced. He asked the reasons behind not using fifteen squadrons for sea rescue. He asked why the Chief of Defence Force had not bothered appearing before the Portfolio Committee, Select Committee and Joint Standing Committee in the past five years.

Mr M Mhlanga (ANC, Mpumalanga) was concerned that MVs were afforded health and wellness services with medical cover but their children and spouses were not covered. He asked for the progress made in establishing personnel and infrastructure for the South African Military Veterans Association (SAMVA) and the progress on establishing provincial offices so that MVs did not have to travel to Pretoria where DMV offices were housed. He said the verification process of MVs in 2013 was disrupted or the data was intercepted. He questioned the progress made on the database update.

He asked who was responsible for the construction of borderlines as in Mbuzini in Mpumalanga; the border was porous and he doubted if it could protect South Africa. He asked for plans in place to implement the Defence Review in terms of weapon acquisition and personnel management. He asked for plans in place to maintain military equipment and vehicles. He was concerned with safety of executive flights and when new plans were to purchase a new fleet. He said force reconfigurations were to help DOD as certain forces were trained in 1994 other in 1970. On disaster management, he implored DOD to engage MVs in disaster management as veterans were qualified to assist in in disaster management globally.

Ms G Manolope (ANC, Northern Cape) asked what was hindering transformation within the defence force as it was an era for women on radical transformation. She asked how sea hours in maritime security were calculated and wanted an explanation on anti-piracy operation plans. She expressed reservations on the impartiality of the Military Ombud as it reported to the Minister of Defence and its budget allocation coming from DOD. She said the NCOP represents provinces and the DMV presentation should have shown distribution of benefits in provinces. She asked how the DMV was going to capacitate the DMV to phase out work being done by consultancy. She asked the impact of the youth service to DOD.

Ms T Wana (ANC, Eastern Cape) asked about the mechanisms put in place by DOD to achieve clean audits. She asked for the reasons why the DOD was not increasing the number of women attachés in the past 20 years. She asked for clarity on force number reconfigurations which do not enhance the required integration and cohesion. She was disappointed that some people in DOD sometimes undermines court ruling.

She said concerned that foot soldiers were earning meagre salaries comparable to the work they do. The evidence was broadcast in the media and this was embarrassing. The Labour Relations Act was designed to curtail very low wages. She asked progress made on reviving Ports St Johns as a military base. She asked how DMV was connecting with municipalities on the burial of MVs. She asked for the number of MVs accessing health services. She asked how the military section linked to the liberation movement during times of bereavement. She urged the DMV to consider having special places were the MVs go for health issues. She asked what DMV had put in place for exiled veterans and other organisation with people claiming to be military veterans. DOD was complaining that their budget was cut by Treasury every time. She asked if agreements signed for external operation were in line with current economic situation in South Africa.

Mr M Chetty (DA, KwaZulu-Natal) asked if the DOD had enough skilled personnel in the army, navy and air force. He asked about DOD plans on skills retention and key vacant posts.

The Chairperson asked for DOD’s plans to implement the Defence Review because the President in the State of the Nation Address said the continent had agreed for a rapid response unit to intervene during the outbreak of conflict. It was commendable that the Defence Review called for the implementation of a long term plan for the military in its response.

He asked why the Director General (DG) and Deputy DG Corporate Service for DMV were suspended. He asked the criterion used in awarding housing benefits to MVs and whether they were new built structures or existing houses. He was unaware of the difference between army and defence.

Mr Vernon Jacobs Chief Director Skills Development and Empowerment DMV replied that the awarding of housing is dependent on budget available, means test and the prioritisation of the Non Statutory Forces (NSF) because those who were statutory forces had access to benefits. Some NSF members never hand jobs in the past 20 years coming from exiles despite having good qualifications while other had limited job opportunities because they do not have any qualifications. Thus NSF members were prioritised and appropriately catered for.

Mr Jacobs said DMV has a Memorandum of Understanding with Department of Human Settlements to do a top up on housing. Human Settlements fund to about R110 000 and DMV does a top up of R75 000 for added square metres and an added finish. The DMV was not the deliverable department, but works in collaboration with other line departments such DOD, Human Settlements, Health and Social Development to fast track service delivery to military veterans across government departments. DMV was beginning to establish MOUs with municipalities to tap in for service delivery for military veterans, utilise the mechanics they have for example providing burial support or establishing heroes acre. In Johannesburg for example, West Park cemetery has a large section which is designed as a heroes and heroine acre. DMV was developing a database of municipalities with cemeteries to know where to establish new ones to avoid additional unwarranted expenditure by identifying a site that is in the vicinity of another cemetery.

He said the database of DMV was protected to a larger extend and currently engaging it into the broader ICT structure of the DMV so the planning unit engages with corporate services. It is working closely with the State Information and Technology Agency (SITA) to ensure that its infrastructure programmes was properly put in place and strengthening the database to become super tight. There was a manual update for people who enter the building to facilitate the access for MVs. The verification process was also updating the database. In August, DMV was to resume verification of the Azanian National Liberation Army (AZANLA) forces to ensure that all former AZANLA get benefits and their dependents. There was a manual daily update and as the ICT architecture develops, provinces will then be looked into. Currently, DMV was engaging Department of Public Works to get office space in provinces so that when a MV walks to a provincial building, DMV will be able to identify and verify him/her from there without having to travel to Pretoria where DMV offices are housed.
 

Mr Jacobs said DMV was currently reviewing the process were burial support was only given to the main Member to extend the benefits to the whole family. This was a process that requires policy amendments and deviation from Treasury. The actual burial support involved the relevant documentation being provided and DMV facilitated the payment of money to the bereaved family. Currently, the process runs for two weeks from the time documentation was received.

Mr Mbulelo Musi Chief Director Communications DMV said he was a former combatant of Umkotwo WeSizwe and this made it easier for him to name other MVs he associated with in camps. DMV was an employment of choice for MVs. The profile and character of DMV must reflect the broader constituency it represents. The DMV was also employing sons and daughters of MVs in call centres as well as interns to ensure that DMV complexion represents the community it represents.

He said on 29 September 2013 it had a conference and put out a resolution to strengthen SAMVA to ensure its effectiveness to MVs. Money was set up for offices and other related infrastructure. The Budget Vote the Deputy Minister of Defence delivered, there was a public policy statement that ensured that DMV will walk the talk. Money was allocated to establish a secretariat to ensure that SAMVA functions, provincial offices to be set up as a matter of urgency, as well as national offices. The DMVs priority was to ensure that the above plans were in action by the end of the current quarter. Working with SAMVA and assisted by National Treasury, a lasting solution will be found. There was need for synergy to avoid something that defeats its goal of effectiveness which is lack of coordination. Currently, nine provincial offices were established who work closely with SAMVA to deliver efficient services to clients, the military veterans. It was fitting the car as it was moving. The infrastructure of DMV must speak to the infrastructure of SAMVA. There must be accountability in budgeting and efficiency.

Mr Musi said the database update of MVs was starting in Gauteng then move to other provinces to complete the verification of military veterans. It was imperative to complete the critical mission of database update to ensure that the right service was delivered to the right client at the right place and time and is accurate. As of late, some 17 years had been proclaiming themselves to be MVs. People want to be considered as MVs because there was money, but no more the issue of sacrifice for the struggle of the country, just wanting to loot resources that the state wants to provide for those who liberated the country. It was working with provinces and local government to ensure that the right beneficiary benefits. When it consulted with military veterans’ formation and the Deputy Minister it became clear that the database update will be completed within a short space of time. A certified personnel register was made when various groupings submitted their list to the state in 1994 when SANDF was being established. This means that it was only small portions that need to be finalised. The greatest challenge of non-statutory forces was AZANLA because it did not participate in the process of negotiation as it was suspicious to be absorbed by the Defence Force. The way forward was to zoom into AZANLA and confirm their numbers as they were not included in the certified personnel register list. By December 2014, the verification of AZANLA forces must be complete. He urged Members of Parliament to ensure that DMV has the right database of MVs.
DMV was dealing with a backlog of 20years as the process of verifying MVs and giving those benefits should have started as soon as democracy was conceived. Other neighbouring countries put in place policies and programmes that ensured that MVs benefited in all programmes rolled out by their respective governments. The DMV was only created five years ago dealing with a backlog which creates challenges. The will was there to ensure that the process was complete as soon as possible. The concentration of MVs was not even across all provinces. The backlog was such that other MVs started training in the 1960s. It was important to understand the community of veterans so that the fiscus responds to their challenges. All countries in the world put value on their veterans. DMV was sitting at 135 posts that had been filled out of established 169. It was working on redesigning the structure to make it was responsive to the challenges it faces.

Mr Musi said the Director General was put on special leave and not suspension. He cautioned Members on the language to use as putting somebody on special leave was not equal to suspending him/her. It was important to protect the integrity of colleagues. Special leave connoted a different dispensation. It was important not to judge them guilty before found guilty. The Minister said the DG was put on special leave because there was a high risk assessment report that was being done in the DMV that pointed out certain issues. He implored Members to assist in protecting the integrity of the process and integrity of colleagues.

Dr Gulube said there had been a plan for new training facilities driven by the Chief of the Defence General Masondo in a programme called the profiling of the South African soldier focusing on what kind of a soldier is needed in South Africa taking into account the kind of threats and deployments encountered with a special emphasis on the discipline and conduct of the soldier. This was addressed in the Defence Review which talks to the human resource development rejuvenation of the South African Defence Force in general. 

On the appearance of the Chief of SANDF before Parliament, he said the Defence Act and PFMA says the chief accounting officer and head of department must appear before Parliament and he as Secretary of Defence has always appeared before Parliament whenever need arises. The Chief of SANDF is highlighted as an advisor on military operations to the minister. The Commander in Chief of SANDF, President Zuma was always in Parliament. The maintenance of infrastructure on the borders was a prerogative of the Department of Public Works.
The independence of the Military Ombud was guaranteed given in the Act. Tt was MPs who formulated the Act. There were debates during formulation on whether it must be administrative and not functional, or whether to fall under Justice or Defence. The MPs agreed that that it must be under DOD and its independence was assured. The DOD just enters into service level agreements. The plan for a clean audit was a priority within DOD. In the previous financial year, it qualified on tangible and non-tangible assets. The DOD has taken action to address adverse findings of the Auditor General. The reviving of Ports St Johns speaks to the changing military and maritime security. The 1998 White Paper spoke about closing some naval bases in Durban and other areas. Since 2010, maritime security issues began to rise and DOD had been looking at the Indian Ocean for the need for maritime security. It was challenging to send naval vessels to the Mozambican Coast from Simon’s Town and expensive comparable to having a naval base in Durban. Currently DOD was upgrading the naval station in Durban into a naval base taking into consideration the limited budget.
There was no authority in DOD that undermines the laws of the country. All the judgements of the courts were respected. Salary packages had been improved and there is no member of SANDF that earns below R10 000 per month because of recommendations taken by the Defence Service Commission.

Dr Gulube said the alignment of budget to international agreements was a difficult one. While budgets were being reduced, the commitments in terms of the country SANDF were increasing to a point where it has been asked to prepare for the Africa Capacity for Rapid Response to Crises and Africa Standby Force. The DOD was unable to predict a threat which makes it difficult to align budgets to different operations. The retention of skills was a big challenge and was addressed in the Defence Review. There was integration on statutory and non-statutory forces in 1994. As of now, DOD was sitting on a layer of exit level staff whether a Colonel, Brigadier General, Lieutenant Generals occupying the same level for five to ten years with the question of who comes to succeed them should they retire.

The critical scarce skills were required in the army and navy were engineers, medical specialists, air force pilots and technicians, legal services as well as defence enterprise information system knowledge technicians and internal audit division.

DOD had contracts for the maintenance of military vehicles, but had not been happy with services provided by some of the contractors to the soft to medium hard vehicles. The Chief of SANDF was addressing that on coming with specifications on the kind of contractors need. However, the focus on internalising the skills so that the person able to drive the vehicle must be able to do level one and two maintenance of the vehicle should it run into a problem while level three and four will be left to specialists. This will also happen to maintenance of helicopters. Denel was repairing helicopters and also transferring skills to the air force. The status of safety of executive flights was intact despite the fact that most aircrafts were ageing. The Air Force was in the process of replacing ageing fleet. The hiring of executive flights was expensive and needed to acquire executive flights as soon as possible.
He said the Defence Review had been tabled before Parliament and was engaging it on areas that need to be reviewed. It talks about addressing the decline of defence force capabilities, human resource rejuvenation and preparing the sustainability of those capabilities. The Chief of SANDF and Secretary of Defence had established a project implementation team and waiting to receive plans from that team and waiting to receive recommendations from Parliament.

Brigadier General Peter Seloane said DOD was working hard to transform the force. He was at the SADC workgroup for Defence Force where there was a standing agenda, DOD was commended on how they are doing their work with some countries coming to benchmark with it. The representativeness in gender takes into consideration the hardness of the job. By the end of June women were 29%. There were no women yet in the Military Command Council and there were five women within the ranks of Major Generals. The force number reconfiguration was a ministerial priority to link everything together. The force number reconfiguration was part of the whole ICT value chain. 

Rear Admiral (Junior) K Naidoo, Director Maritime Plans at the South Africa Navy said the 12 000 sea hours was determined based on joint force operation requirements in terms of borderline patrol, anti-piracy operations and surveys conducted along the coasts.  It was based on the average over the past five years. It has a Reactive Maritime Squadron Unit deployed to conduct anti-piracy operations.

Major General C Masters, Chief Director Air Policy and Planning at the South Africa Air Force said some helicopters were used in conjunction with the navy for maritime operations.

The Chairperson thanked DOD and DMV for their appearance before the Committee. He said it was important to work together and understand each other as Members came from various corners of South Africa with different understanding.

The meeting was adjourned