Coverage of the South African State of the nation (SONA) speech was characterised more by opposition evictions and violence than the actual content of President Zuma’s address. Moreover, the speech was thin on details regarding to defence. So thin that the president devoted around 30 seconds in total towards matters of defence.
Aside from woolly references to “conflict resolution” measures being performed in places such as Sri Lanka, the only other clear mention of defence affairs relates to that of the implementation of the poorly-planned African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crises, or ACIRC. The SANDF’s role in this was confirmed, but with no subsequent clarification of any specifics. Nothing on the Force Intervention Brigade, nothing on the Defence Review, and absolutely nothing on regional standby forces.
Finding defence information in the SONA is more a case of paying attention to what was not said, rather than the brief two lines that made it in. The South African Defence Review remains by leagues the most critical piece of defence policy on the table for 2015, and yet little has been said about its impending discussion in parliament. A parliament, mind you, that may soon become bogged down in discussions about parliamentary process rather than items actually listed on its calender. The ACIRC force itself may be operational, and President Zuma may have announced the SANDF’s readiness in this regard, but the devil remains ,as always, in the details. The cost of deployment combined with operational constraints such as airlift capability and cross-military cooperation issues all remain outstanding. Add to this a cloud of obscurity on the details surrounding ACIRC and a potential disaster awaits.
In light of ongoing, crippling budgetary restrictions and a battalion of troops in each of the DRC and Darfur respectively, the task of sending troops abroad as part of a rapid intervention force is a risky endeavour that may cost South African lives, rather than just training and exercise time. With no guidance from the president during his speech, ACIRC and the defence review could well become the largest contributors to military decline in South Africa during 2015 and beyond.
The happier scenario may yet occur, in which the defence review is discussed and adopted in parliament, soon, and ACIRC either never has the need or capability to deploy SANDF soldiers into an ill-conceived intervention role. If the impending budget announcements and defence department policies indicate a shift, then the lack of attention during the SONA may simply be due the importance of other critical issues in South Africa. However, with little to go on for the time being, the president’s speech was cold comfort for a defence sector starved for good news. It might be that the lack of substance on defence was an oversight by the executive, but there appears to be a troubling distinct air of indifference towards defence policy in parliament these days.
Innocent/ignorant indifference or intentional malicious neglect by the “we have no enemies so we don’t need a defence force, let it rot away” faction?
I agree with Roger.
I would say it’s Ignorant Indifference.
Similar to people who feel they don’t need vehicle or household or medical insurance until it’s too late.
I know this is not a political platform but I really dislike the current governments handling of defence issues.
The sooner they depart the sooner we’ll be able to continue. I have far more faith in the Deputy president since it was him who recommended Roelf Meyer lead the Defence Review.
The President is consistently bogged down from one scandal to the next and his cabinet save for the Deputy has shown disinterest in the defence force.
Millions for tribute, but not one cent for defence!
Agree with you both. It’s actually even worse than that analogy, it’s like people who deliberately don’t take out insurance, drive terribly and get into accidents and wonder each time why there’s no insurance money.
I will admit, that in my more cynical moments, I have wondered whether the mismanagement of the defence force might not be a deliberate policy like that followed in some dictatorships to prevent the military from being a force that could oppose the president. But then I look at every other department or state owned enterprise in SA and I remember that old dictum of never ascribing anything to malice that could equally be explained through incompetence.
Wonder if the Pres was saving a “a big announcement” for the Armed Forces Day, seeing as it is billed to be the largest yet. But given the Parliamentary inaction on the Defence Review and the lack of new funds (as evident in last year’s medium term budget) I doubt fireworks.
As it turned out, he wasn’t. It was more of the same; a blissful ignorance of the SANDF’s clear need for more funding and the folly of adding yet more deployments for it to fulfil.
I found the Minister of Defence & Military Veterans’s statement that reducing missions in Africa was off the table and the money ‘had to be found’ amusing too. It doesn’t matter how often she repeats those words, they’ll continue to be nonsensical until she can prove that she’ll take portions of other departments’ budget allocations. It shows a lack of seriousness.
I’m afraid I’m getting gloomier about the prospects for both the Defence Review and the defence force as each month of inaction goes by.