What happened to the SA Army?

[Bundu Basher]

SA army 'no fighting force'
27/01/200608:49 - (SA)
Erika Gibson, Beeld


Johannesburg - Military specialists have said the latest battle readiness
statistics of the defence force and specifically the army, which indicated
that only 5% of some battle units would be deployable as a result of poor
health - is catastrophic.

According to statistics, there were 11 618 healthy soldiers in the army,
compared to 10 711 who were too sick too be deployed.

In August last year there were 16 460 healthy ones, compared to 5 445 sick
ones. The percentage of healthy soldiers in the army's infantry formation -
which has the most foot soldiers for deployment particularly in foreign
countries - had decreased by 19% to only 29%, while the number of sick
soldiers had nearly doubled.

Impossible to do proper training

Two of the 14 infantry battalions, 4 SAI at Middelburg (Mpumalanga) and 5
SAI at Ladysmith (KwaZulu-Natal) respectively have only 5% and 6% deployable
soldiers.

A little more than a year ago these units could respectively deploy 50% and
32% of their soldiers.

Only 31% of 1 Parachute Battalion's soldiers - compared to 54% - were
healthy in August, and only 26% of Special Forces (Recces) were healthy,
compared to 53%.

The number of sick soldiers among the recces had increased from 12% to 21%.

According to Helmoed-Romer Heitman, a military specialist from Jane's
Defence Weekly, these numbers confirmed why the army couldn't deploy a
single complete battalion in a foreign country.

A battalion almost always had to get companies from other units to make up
its numbers.

On paper the army had 14 battalions, who were supposed to be its fighting
force, but on ground level the position was poor, said Heitman.

"The youngest numbers indicate how desperate the situation really is. There
can't be another defence force in the world with so many sick or old
soldiers."

"More than ever before it has become necessary to gather the healthy
soldiers and put them into battle units, and get rid of the sick ones, who
are only blocking the system. They should make way for young volunteers who
are queuing to sign up."

"It is nearly impossible to do proper training with a battle unit with fewer
than 30% fit soldiers. The defence force is developing into a huge welfare
problem and cannot reach it's primary aims.

"The old and sick should be included in service brigades and trained to help
with basic construction work or building maintenance if it is too difficult
to declare them medically unfit and send them home.

"The defence force can simply not be regarded as a fighting force in this
condition.

"In the next couple of years the country's involvement elsewhere on the
continent will increase markedly. Something drastic will have to be done."


Original article at:
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1870350,00.html

[Bombardier]

Those sickness levels are incredible

[Bundu Basher]

Too right Bombardier!

And the worst thing is that the SA Government is denying the state of the military... this was brought up last year already!


No crisis in SANDF - George
25/08/2005 20:33 - (SA)
News24.com


Cape Town - Deputy defence minister Mluleki George has dismissed Democratic Alliance claims the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) faces a crisis in its combat readiness.
Speaking in the national assembly on Thursday, DA MP Rafeek Shah said media reports of a crisis in the combat readiness of the SANDF were cause for great concern.
"Just as we have warned for years, the cost of the arms deal is placing an unbearable burden of the operational capacity of the SANDF.
"The result of the government's misplaced priorities is that the SANDF may be unable to repel a serious conventional threat to South Africa's territorial integrity," Shah said.
In his response, George said the report, "which was leaked by the DA out of a closed (defence) portfolio committee meeting, was completely exaggerated".
"The impression that is created is that the defence force is not capable of doing its core business; that is defending the sovereignty of this country and the people of this country," he said.
South Africa and its defence force were viewed by all African countries as one of the best trained and best ready to defend, not only its borders, but also ensure there was peace on the continent.
Constraints
"So for anybody to create the impression that the defence force cannot defend the people of the country is irresponsible."
It was true constraints and cuts in the SANDF's budget had affected some capabilities - but these had nothing to do with the arms deal, according to the deputy minister.
"In fact, the arms deal has helped us to be ready to defend this country."
The decision to buy the new defence equipment was the correct one.
Despite budget constraints, the defence force was able to "manage and control".
"So there is no crisis in the country, and I want to say the people of the country must be assured that the defence force ... will defend at any time when it is called upon," George said.
In a statement later on Thursday, Shah denied the DA had leaked the report on the combat readiness of the defence force. "The DA's conclusion about the crisis facing the SANDF is based on information gathered from numerous briefings and oversight visits, including but not limited to the closed briefing in question," Shah said.


Original article at:
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Politics/0,,2-7-12_1759927,00.html

[Bundu Basher]

...and a mere 3 days before...


SANDF 'is falling apart'
22/08/2005 09:19 - (SA)
Erika Gibson, Beeld



Pretoria - As a result of staff problems and an annual financial deficit of R5bn, the defence force is, as far as military readiness is concerned, unable to fulfil its constitutional and African responsibilities.
Nearly all divisions are affected by this shortfall and the force's wide range of commitments is sending it towards certain ruin.
This dark picture emerged from an official report on the army's operational readiness.
An information briefing to the portfolio committee on defence, where these details were released last week, was closed to the media.
Affected
The army has been the worst affected, closely followed by the air force. Although the navy received new ships and has new submarines in the pipeline, a shortage of operating capital means that new air force and navy equipment will be totally underutilised.
It has become impossible to deploy the army's tank, artillery and anti-aircraft regiments in their primary roles, and they are basically only being maintained.
Medical orderlies in the SA military health service are failing their refresher courses on purpose in order not to be deployed to life-endangering situations in foreign countries.
Instructors
In Makhado at 2 Squadron, once the air force's star fighter squadron, there are only three attack instructors to train pilots. As a result, neither the planes nor the pilots can be fully utilised.
As a result of a critical shortage of pilots and technicians at the helicopter squadrons, only 61% of these positions are filled, while medical shortcomings mean that only 51% of flight engineers can be deployed in foreign countries.
Medical problems and the fact that soldiers are only screened once every 12 months for peace deployments, means that medical classifications are constantly changing.
As a result, soldiers who are not medically fit, and even pregnant female soldiers, are being deployed in foreign countries.
The proposed South African contribution to the establishment of a joint peace brigade for the SADC, in accordance with the terms of the African Union, will have to be "carefully managed", according to the report.
Instances
The SA military health service in most instances already does not meet the requirements of the UN's operational support service.
Logistical support and maintenance of troops in foreign countries is also insufficient.
As a result of foreign commitments to the AU and UN, the remaining senior specialists in the different fields are unable to help with the recruitment, appointment and training of more specialists.
Sam Mkhwanazi, spokesperson for the department of defence, said on Sunday night he had not seen the report and also said he did not want to comment on a closed discussion. Mkhwanazi said defence minister Mosijoa Lekota was aware of the report.


Original article at:
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1757475,00.html

[ArcticWolf]

That's almost unbelieveable...

[Bundu Basher]

...and the last piece of my rant - the SANDF's own publication in November 2005... :eek:

http://www.tugteam.com/gallery/files/2/6/4/SASoldierNov05.jpg

[Ratel]

HIV and Aids in South Africa's army
as seen by Graeme Hosken

The launch of Project Phidisa is set to halt the decimation of South Africa's Defence Force as the HIV and Aids pandemic rages out of control among the country's armed forces.

At least one in five of the 70 000 SANDF members are currently infected with the incurable disease, with medical experts predicting the infection rate in the defence force will sky-rocket over the next few years.

The department of defence, together with the United States National Institute of Health, on Tuesday launched Project Phidisa, a national campaign aimed at reducing the HIV and Aids infection rate among SANDF members.

The five-year project, in which clinical research will be conducted at six centres around South Africa, is aimed at developing the most appropriate plan of action on how anti-retrovirals and non anti-retroviral drugs can be administered to SANDF members and their families who volunteer for the project.

At least one in five of the 70 000 SANDF members are infected The centres, said Phidisa communications officer Lieutenant Sheila Senokwanyane, would be in Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Umtata, Phalaborwa and Mathubathuba at the various SANDF medical facilities.

She said the project was in line with the government's HIV and Aids campaign and would conduct research into the disease and other related illnesses.

Speaking at the launch of Phidisa, Deputy Defence Minister Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge said South Africa needed to have a fighting-fit defence force.

"It is therefore imperative that we do everything in our power to ensure that our soldiers are healthy and that we show them that we have not given up on them," she said.

Major-General Mokhethi Radebe, military health force preparation chief director, confirmed that 23 percent of the SANDF was suspected of being HIV-positive.

"South Africa needed to have a fighting-fit defence force" He could not give the exact infection rate figure as HIV and Aids testing was done on a purely voluntary basis.

Commenting on the HIV and Aids status of SANDF members deployed in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Radebe said that before members were sent on missions outside South Africa's borders, soldiers were given a comprehensive health assessment which included an HIV and Aids test.

"If members are found to be HIV-positive they are not allowed to go on missions of deployment outside of the country."
"They can, however, be deployed within the country depending on their health status," he said.

Radebe said a project like this was of great importance to the SANDF as it could define what particular treatment could be given to someone who tested HIV-positive.

"The objectives of this project are to see that proper clinical research structures, within the South African Military Health Services, are developed so that critically important research on other diseases, as well as HIV and Aids, can be conducted.

"Another aim of the project is to answer research questions relevant to South Africa and its population which we believe is reflected in the military."

"Therefore, the answers gained from this project will have relevance to the general population of the country," said Radebe.

Lieutenant-General Rinus Jansen van Rensburg, SANDF Surgeon-General, said the project would provide vital research into anti-retroviral and non anti-retroviral drugs, as well as a scientific research basis allowing better informed decisions to be made in supporting SANDF soldiers and their families who are HIV-positive.

Henry Masur, of the United States National Institute of Health, said they became involved in the project because of the global health problem created by HIV and Aids within defence forces.

"We are also interested, from a humanitarian position, in finding and establishing research facilities so that data on the disease can be gathered.

"Our medical and research experts will be working closely with their South African counterparts on the project and will provide information gathered from similar projects into HIV and Aids in the US defence force to your country's researchers," he said.