SANDF State of Readiness: what's the secret?

The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, appears to be doing her level best to keep the state of combat readiness of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) a secret. One can only conclude that the Minister has something to hide and is trying to conceal what is a virtual meltdown in the SANDF.

For nearly a week the Minister has dodged and ignored requests to provide a full briefing to the portfolio committee on defence and military veterans on the state of combat readiness of the SANDF.

Last week, acting secretary of defence, Tsepe Motsumi, informed the portfolio committee that a there was a ready-to-go briefing on the state of combat readiness of the SANDF. However, Mr. Motsumi informed the committee that the briefing would have to take place behind closed doors.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) strongly objected to the proposed closed briefing on the state of combat readiness of the SANDF. The constitution requires that parliament conduct its business in an open and transparent manner. The public also has a right to know how and to what effect billions of rands are being spent on the SANDF.

At the request of the DA the committee chairperson, Mr. Mnyamezeli Booi, wrote to the Minister informing her that the portfolio committee on defence and military veterans should be briefed this week on the state of combat readiness of the SANDF. He also requested that the Minister provide reasons in writing to the portfolio committee as to why the state of combat readiness briefing should be behind closed doors.

However, the Minister has not bothered to respond, leaving it up to Mr Motsumi who bizarrely suggested that the portfolio committee on defence and military veterans could not be briefed, because the Minister has herself not been briefed on the state to readiness of the SANDF. How is it that after being in office for more than 6 weeks, the Minister has not been briefed on the state of readiness of the SANDF?

Without a briefing on the state of combat readiness of the defence force, it is almost impossible for members of the portfolio committee to evaluate the effect of this financial year's R32 billion defence budget on the effectiveness of the SANDF.

The DA therefore calls on the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, to:-

• to commit to providing the portfolio committee on defence and military veterans with an open briefing on the state of combat readiness of the defence force; and to
• provide an open and honest assessment of the state of combat readiness of the defence force during her budget vote speech on defence and military veterans this week in Parliament.

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of defence June 24 2009

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