RESOLUTIONS OF THE SASFU MEETING HELD AT NAVAL BASE SIMON'S TOWN ON 11 JUNE 2009.
The meeting noted with concern the deployment of the Military Police (MPs) to the Naval Base Simon's Town in order to stop a SASFU meeting. SASFU believes that the meeting was legal according to regulation 34 of Chapter xx of the Defence Act 44 of 1957 as amended in Defence Act 42 of 2002.
It was reported by Captain Rustin-Patrick that she had been instructed by Rear Admiral (Junior Grade) Wiesner who was instructed by Rear Admiral Higgs who was instructed by Vice Admiral Mudimu (the Chief of the Navy) to stop the meeting.
The hall in which the meeting was supposed to take place was locked and the Military Police could not allow any person inside. However the meeting was very successful and took place outside the hall. More than 100 members from the Navy attended the meeting.
The meeting resolved as follows:
ON THE REMOVAL/RESIGNATION OF CHIEF OF THE NAVY
All issues addressed by SASFU in the media were issues directly related to the SANDF.
The headlines in the media played the Chief of the Navy against Zuma and in that situation the debate was taken outside the context of SANDF and President Zuma was posed as an individual outside the Defence force. SASFU is a Military Trade Union whose agenda is the transformation of the SANDF in line with the vision of the freedom charter, which is translated in the SA Constitution of 1996, hence SASFU logo bears the constitution of SA.
This union will continue to raise issues affecting and relating to the SANDF and all the members of the SANDF from the lowest rank to the Commander-in-Chief. The president of the country is the commander in chief of the SANDF and is the last person that considers the grievances of the serving members hence it is important to have a working hand-to-hand relationship with his commanders.
The meeting was equally surprised that Vice Admiral Mudimu responded to the media although he initially mentioned that he was instructed by the Defence Force not to respond. Although the meeting respects his participation in the revolution for the freedom of all South Africans, it also understands that the revolution produces its own heros as well as its own traitors.
The meeting reiterated that Vice Admiral Mudimu has failed the Navy and the black people in particular. It is therefore not surprising that he is protected by liberal commentator and the so called Defence analyst, Mr Romer-Heitman because the present incumbent Chief of the Navy represents his class and agenda. Mr Romer-Heitman was quoted as saying that although the appointment of the incumbent Chief of the Navy was political, he is an independent thinker who acts in the interest of his force. He continues to say that the present incumbent Chief of the Navy did not support the idea of ‘Africanising' through appointments.
We wish to state categorically that there no such as the independent thinking in a class society and Affirmative action is not Africanising through appointments but a very important policy of the SA government.
SASFU will therefore continue the call for his resignation and or removal from that office.
ON CORRUPTION AND NEPOTISM
1. The Chief Director Maritime Strategy (CDMS), Rear Admiral B. H. Teuteberg was charged by Rear Admiral Magalefa and is faced with five charges. The charges include intimidation, Disobeying lawful orders, interfering with guard duties and others. The meeting resolved that the Chief of the Navy must suspend this man and allow him to have his time in court as he continues to use his position against members that wrote statements about him when he was charged. The meeting also resolved that the Chief of the Navy must refrain from letting this man to be in charge of the Navy and ruling over him.
2. Captain Knox was charged for theft of Propeller blades of ships more than two years ago but he still has not appeared in Military court. The Chief of the Navy must suspend this man from his post as soon as possible and the Legal Satellite Unite must do its work and prosecute this Senior Naval Captain.
3. SASFU intervened in a case of nepotism where Captain Warrin sent his son and two others to the Officers Course without them going through proper selection process. The students were later removed from course when SASFU intervened. The Code of Conduct for Uniformed Personnel of the SANDF reads as follows: " I will not abuse my authority, position or public funds for personal gain, political motive or any other reason".
SASFU then resolved that this captain must be charged as he was advancing his personal and family interests using the state.
ON THE RESERVE FORCE
SASFU believes that the reserve force is used as a reserve for capital accumulation for the white former members of the SADF who left the service because they could not serve under the black commander. These members come back as reserves and occupy senior positions and thereby blocking the progress of full time serving members. We view this as corruption that must be investigated and stopped as soon as possible.
Statement issued by Sipho Sityoshwana, SASFU Simon's Town branch secretary, June 11 2009
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