Question NW159 to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
15 March 2016 - NW159
Mackay, Mr G to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans
(1)(a) What are the reasons for not renewing (i) contracts and (ii) agreements with South African entrepreneurs to service military vehicles and equipment, who have been servicing the specified vehicles and equipment since 1994, (b) how will the work done by the specified entrepreneurs be replaced, (c) who will now be responsible for carrying out this work and (d) what is the cost-benefit of this strategy; (2) whether any study has been conducted to determine the extent of (a) job losses and (b) the potential negative impact of this decision on the economy; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
a. Ref Par 1 (a): The intention of the SANDF is not to have contracts for servicing of military vehicles and equipment.
b. Ref Par 1 (b): First and second line maintenance and repair tasks including limited depot repairs will be performed by internal capability.
c. Ref Par 1 (c): Through Project Thusano, internal capability and capacity the SANDF will do the internal work.
d. Ref Par 1 (d): It will save cost, military vehicles and equipment will be maintained and repaired as a far less cost as it will be done internally.
It is important that the SANDF becomes self-sustainable. We are not ruling out possibilities of working with the private sector on some of our projects. However, the SANDF must develop internal capacity to deal with such matters.