The Joint Standing Committee on Defence has called for the appointment of the Chief Defence Reserves to steer the strategic implementation of the decisions taken at the Reserve Force Indaba II. The committee remains of the view that the Reserve Force plays a critical role in the further development of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and without a permanent leader to steer the strategic role of the reserves might negatively impact decision-making as the SANDF makes decisions about the future.
“The SANDF is currently undergoing a review process on the role, cost and rejuvenation of the reserve force and this process should maintain included the ideas and foresight of a permanent Chief Defence Reserves to ensure that in the medium to long terms the incumbent implements a strategic outlook they would contributed to shaping,” said Mr Cyril Xaba, the Co-Chairperson of the committee.
The committee remains concerned that the average age for the reserves is 46 and is ever-increasing, which require strategies to ensure rejuvenation and enhance viability. Also concerning to the committee is that the reduction in budgets will guide a further decline of the reserves over the medium term. These concerns would best be driven and solved by a permanent Chief Defence Reserves.
Meanwhile, the committee appreciated the announcement that the Reserve Force Indaba II has sat and engaged to develop the reserve’s strategic role and direction in delivering on the SANDF’s mandate. The committee has requested that the final product to be adopted at the Reserve Force Indaba III be tabled to enable the committee to manufacture its own contribution.
The committee has also called for the SANDF to urgently determine the status of the ±7 500 members who maintain not been called up in the past five years, as identified in 2018/19. The current number of reserves not called up stands at 5 233 but the committee has emphasised the need for the Department of Defence to work with the Department of Home Affairs to ensure that the PERSOL system is functional.
The committee also is aware of the reserve’s critical importance, design especially their surge capability and in the provision of specialist skills to the SANDF.
Darth 44
Van der Merwe goes to Paris to watch the Boks take on the Brits at the world cup.
Whilst in Paris, he walks around, gaping and staring at everything – so much so that he walks smack bang into a fire hydrant which hits him so hard on the family jewels that he has to be rushed to hospital where the doctors tell him they have to remove his testicles.
Van goes berserk, he bites and snarls at every one and he won\’t let anybody within 10 metres of him. Eventually they find a South African doctor in the hospital and get him to talk to Van.
He walks up to Van and tells him \”Hey Van, die ouens moet jou knaters uithaal.\”
Van replies \”O, okay, ek dog die bliksems wil my test tickets vat.\”
lady q
Fun South African Fact: South Africa is the only country in the world to build and then decide to dismantle the whole of its nuclear weapons program.