Publication: Cape Argus Issued: Date: 2006-02-10 Reporter: Moshoeshoe Monare Reporter:

R2 Billion Needed to Pay Off Old Soldiers

 

Publication 

Cape Argus

Date

2006-02-10

Reporter

 Moshoeshoe Monare

Web Link

www.capeargus.co.za

 

The Department of Defence needs about R2 billion to lay off more than 1 000 ageing soldiers, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota says.

A total of 1 283 soldiers have been approached, of whom 556 have accepted retirement packages. Lekota has approved the retirement of 427 for an estimated pay-out of R58 million.

The intention is to make way for a young, energetic force.

Lekota said shortly after his return to office in 2004 that a key difficulty facing the SA National Defence Force was too many ageing members.

He said yesterday he needed more money to facilitate the exit of old members.

"The issue is to find resources to release people whose age and physical strengths made it difficult for them to operate.

"We want (money) to make it possible for them to survive beyond employment," he said.

"Every year we take new recruits. Last year we had 6 000 and this year we hired 4 000. It is not going at a higher rate.

"I would like to take 10 000 a year," Lekota said.

He said his recruitment drive would also help in developing skills in line with the Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa.

Lekota said that so far, the SANDF had deployed more than 6 000 troops in peacekeeping missions in Africa.

Missions and military observers include:

# More than 1 000 troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of the UN Mission, which will continue until October this year.

# Six members *1 in Ethiopia-Eritrea as part of a UN mandate operation involving military observers and staff, which ends in April.

# A total of 862 troops in Burundi.

# In Ivory Coast there are 40 South African mission members as part of a military advisory and monitoring team.

Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said there was concern about the Ethiopian-Eritrean conflict and the Sudanese situation.

"South Africa will continue working closely with the African Union and the UN in encouraging Eritrea and Ethiopia to engage in political dialogue aimed at resolving the impasse," she said.

"There is the challenge of the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement, addressing the humanitarian situation in Darfur and the realisation of funds committed at the Oslo donor conference last year," she said.

With acknowledgements to Moshoeshoe Monare and Cape Argus.


*1  Now a major military mission for what was once the invincible SADF.

Hopefully the SANDF will also get rid of some of its top-heavy burden of generals and admirals.