NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION 3495.

Mr M G P Lekota (Cope) to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans:

(1) Whether the Military Command Council (MCC) has granted a budget authorising the Hoefyster Project that was registered in 2007, to supply Badger infantry combat vehicles to the SA National Defence Force; if not, why not; if so, (a)(i) what was the exact amount that was budgeted and (ii) what amount has been utilised as at the latest specified date for which information is available and (b) from which fund was the project financed;

(2) Whether (a) the whole project or (b) part of the project (i) will be completed and (ii) can proceed with the same budget; if so, what are the relevant details in each case; if not, why not, in each case;

(3) Whether new quotes will be invited for the project; if so, what are (a) the new quotes and (b) further relevant details;

(4)(a) What are the (i) reasons for the delay in the MCC granting the authorisation despite the fact that the prescribed K225 Armscor inspection release certificate was issued in September 2010 to supply the Product Baseline (A) of the Section Variant and (ii) bottlenecks that are being experienced and (b) what is the nature of the Department of Public Enterprises' involvement;

(5) Whether she has taken a final decision on the implementation of the industrialisation and production phase which was earmarked for the 2011-12 financial year; if not, why not; if so, (a) how much time has lapsed since the industrialisation and production phase was mentioned by the then Minister Alec Erwin in his Budget speech on 17 May 2007 until a final decision regarding the implementation was reached and (b) what are the further relevant details?            NW4169E

RESPONSE

Dear Honourable Member, anything called "project" in the Defence Environment means it is operational. The Constitution provides for these matters to be dealt with sensitively by the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD).

Issued by Parliament, November 25 2011

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