With only four working days left before it was due to start public hearings the Arms Procurement Commission has postponed the hearings for five months.

Indications are, with one exception, all 12 witnesses called for the first round of public hearings had made themselves ready to report to the Tshwane Metro council chambers on Monday. The exception is Fana Hlongwane, advisor to former Defence Minister Joe Modise, whose legal team was in consultation with members of Judge Willie Seriti’s Commission on appearing before the Commission.

The decision to postpone public hearings resulted “primarily” from ongoing consultations between Commission evidence leaders and key witnesses spokesman William Baloyi said.

“They were being referred to an increasing number of documents in the possession of witnesses which have not yet been seen by the Commission. The additional documents are only coming in now and are voluminous.

“There is insufficient time to peruse and analyse them, supplement the Commission’s bundles, consult with witnesses in respect of the additional documents and deal with the issues arising,” he said.

Additionally witnesses have made suggestions on other areas to investigate and where to source more documentation.

“The postponement will enable investigations relating to these and other allegations against individuals and entities to be completed and adequate notice given to all implicated persons,” Baloyi said.

Another reason for postponement is the appointment of independent, specialist investigators who are probing aspects of the Commission’s terms of reference.

“Their reports are not yet available and the Commission considers it advisable they be available during the public hearings,” he said.

The hearings will now start on August 5 and run until the end of November at the Pretoria venue.

The Commission was appointed by President Zuma in October two years ago to investigate and report on allegations of fraud, corruption, impropriety or irregularity surrounding South Africa’s purchase of military equipment including Swedish Gripen fighter jets and stealth frigates and submarines built in Germany.

These along with lead-in Hawk Mk 120 jet fighter trainers and Agusta Westland A109 light utility helicopters comprised the first and major component of the deal valued at more than R42 billion. A second component followed with the purchase of four Westland Super Lynx maritime helicopters.

All told the SA Air Force received 28 Gripen fighters *1, 24 Hawks, 30 A-109s and the four Lynxes while the Navy took ownership of four Valour class frigates and three Type 209 diesel-electric submarines.

All the equipment has been delivered and, with the exception of three A-109s which have been written off following crashes, is still in service.

One of the submarines, SAS Manthatisi, has been out of commission for at least six years waiting for new batteries*2 while SAS Queen Modjadji is fully seaworthy following a collision with the seabed last year. The third submarine SAS Charlotte Maxeke is in port on light maintenance and can be operationalised on short notice.

SAS Amatola is the only frigate currently at sea, on anti-piracy patrol duty in the Mozambique Channel. SAS Isandlwana, SAS Mendi and SAS Spioenkop are all currently in port at Simon’s town fleet headquarters. Navy watchers maintain all have “engine issues, both with their diesel engines and the water jet propulsion systems”.

With acknowledgement to Kim Helfrich and defenceWeb.

*1       No so quick, young man.

The DoD ordered 28 Gripen fighters, but only 26 have been delivered.

No further deliveries are scheduled.

It seems that the other two have simply been cancelled, without anyone being informed.

At around R500 million each (package cost, not fly away cost), someone just scored R1 billion (R2 billion in 2013 values).

The upgrades in an around Nkandla are costing around R2 billion.

Now we may know from whence the wonga comes.

Or is there another explanation?



*2      No so quick, young man.

S101 has not been waiting for 6 years for new batteries.

She's been waiting for 6 years for a major repair job after an onboard explosion.

Just the very first part of this repair job started about a month ago and is costing some R150 million.

The new batteries are a small part and will cost R35 million.

But that's not to say that this will put S101 back into the underwater order of battle.

That will have to wait for mid-life upgrade.