Another request for financial support was issued,
for a Friends of Air Command Golf Day on Friday.
Cape Town Despite the furore last month over the
South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF’s)
requests for defence industry sponsorship of networking
events, another request for financial support was
issued, for a Friends of Air Command Golf Day on Friday.
When the “cash for access” story broke last month,
Defence and Military Veterans Minister
Lindiwe Sisulu swiftly ruled that no sponsorships
should be accepted for the meeting of the Military
Command Council at the Zimbali lodge north of Durban.
She said the issue of sponsorships for defence functions
would be reviewed because there were many that were
legitimate.
The sponsoring of military functions, particularly for
the top brass who might make critical decisions on
equipment needs in the SANDF, by the people who might
manufacture the needed military hardware, raises concern
that the practice could compromise future tenders for
defence requirements.
Last Friday, the General Officer Commanding Air Command,
Maj- Gen Mandla Mangethe, sent out a letter announcing
that the “popular” golf day would be held in October and
its main sponsor would be Airbus Military.
The SANDF had a contract with Airbus Military for the
supply of air transport aircraft but the contract was
cancelled after delays and escalations in the price.
Maj-Gen Mangethe invited companies to the golf day at a
cost of R4000 for a two-man team .
“ Financial support still remains a crucial factor and
because of your longstanding relationship with the Air
Force, the managing committee therefore takes the
liberty to request additional support,”
he said.
Democratic Alliance defence spokesman David Maynier
said: “Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe
Sisulu’s position that sponsorships from the defence
industry are ‘inappropriate’ does not seem to have sunk
in at South African Air Force headquarters.”
There should be a moratorium on defence industry
sponsorships pending the issuing of proper guidelines
regulating interaction between the two sides, he said.
The DA would also ask the auditor-general to do a
special audit of all “regimental accounts”, which are
beyond normal financial controls, and are used to handle
the proceeds of industry sponsorships.
The SANDF was in the process of acquiring transport
aircraft. One contender was Airbus Military’s Airbus
A400M. There was therefore a major conflict of interest
in Airbus Military being the prime sponsor of an air
force golf day, he said.
With acknowledgements to
Wyndham Hartley and Business Day.