NOSIVIWE MAPISA-NQAKULA - FLAWED

NOSIVIWE MAPISA-NQAKULA

The Minister of Defence and Military veterans seems to have no problem authorising large amounts of money for trips, that are so called necessary. The latest trip by the Vice President with several of his friends to Japan. This jaunt will cost the Tax Payer in excess of 5 million rand. She said quite clearly that it needs no explanation. It quite clearly does. It is not her money! Government conveniently forgets this. The need to explain everything. She is arrogant, always was and always will be.
Once again I cannot see the justification of these trips when there are still people without homes, water, food or a toilet.

In her briefing she tells the public that we are lucky to see her.

"The briefing itself is extra ordinary in that I have made a rare decision to appear before you to discuss and set the record straight on an operational matter clearly in the purview of the military command structures. I had felt however that given the uncertainty and need for reassurance of South Africans regarding an important matter of security and political accountability, that it will be the most responsible thing for us as the leadership to address the nation through yourselves."

 "For all flight requests the first option is to consider SAAF aircraft. The Boeing 737 (BBJ) of the SAAF, which meets all the requirements to be used for this flight, was however not available as it was being used as a higher priority for Presidential flights over the period."


Did the President go somewhere??

 "In the medium to long term, the solution to many of these problems is to capacitate the SAAF with a dedicated fleet with enough capacity to meet both the transport and Air Defence capability requirements of the country. The staggered implementation of this plan is already in place and will be done in line with targets of Milestone 1 of the implementation of the Defence Review. I will be providing details of this implementation plan as soon as Cabinet has approved it."

I suppose this means they are buying aircraft. Which will be wrong and or money in the pocket of someone.

A comment from ..'.Lerato Manamela • a day ago

The South Africa socio-political space is now a socio-pathological "Absurdistan"; an iniquitous amphitheatre, dedicated to the atrocious eroticization of political stupidity. ANC has degenerated into a level where hopeless ignorance meets primeval greed and it convokes a conglomerate of petty egoisms, whose sole vocation in life remains the congenital consultation of primitive greed.Every day bring new scandals!!!!'

I think this sums it up pretty well....

26.02.15

'Two soldiers on guard duty at Bloemfontein’s Tempe military base have been robbed of their R5 assault rifles and tied up with their own bootlaces.
The pair were on sentry duty at the main entrance to the base when they were attacked by two knife wielding men in the early hours of Tuesday morning, Gauteng Afrikaans daily Beeld reported.
The soldiers were apparently in a sentry post at Tempe’s main entrance when they were overpowered and threatened by their assailants. Their R5s were taken and they were bound with their own bootlaces before their attackers fled.'

Nice one! Even the Army can't defend itself.

28.08.15

'Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula this week put the military’s contribution to rural development back on the map when she signed an MOU with the North West provincial government in Mafikeng.
Speaking at the signing she said it heralded a function that redefined the role of the South African military and its “inherent potential to support development through peacetime activities”.
The SA National Defence Force’s involvement in rural development goes back at least three years to when a pilot project was started in and around Potchefstroom in North West with a view to providing certain goods and services to the sizable military contingent there. This included fresh vegetables for use in military base kitchens and assistance in skilling local people as mechanics to assist with maintenance of military vehicles, including cars and trucks.
The pilot was put on hold as a result of national and provincial elections in 2014.
The memorandum of understanding signed by North West premier Supra Mahomapelo and Mapisa-Nqakula effectively restarts the SANDF/rural development initiative launched during previous Defence Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s tenure.'
Mapisa-Nqakula did not elaborate on specifics of the initiative but pointed out that rural development included agriculture, livestock, infrastructural development, health, sanitation, energy and education.'

Interesting....I wonder why and what this means. Is it to look at borders. What are we expecting what do we not know. I presume it will become clear in time.

MINISTER OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES 2012

As the Minister for Correctional Services in 2012 she paraded rearrested escapees in front of the media at a press conference. As much as we feel that the escapees deserve even harsher punishment, this is 'abuse of their human rights'.  The Law Society expressed 'Shock and Concern' that there was 'little thought about their basic right to dignity'

However maybe her teacher's diploma obtained from the Bensonvale Teachers College might not have prepared her for this position....

MINISTER OF DEFENCE

In 2013 Project Hoefyster: R10 billion+ for 238 infantry combat vehicles?

In 2013 she approved the cost of 1.3 Billion for the "Badger" infantry vehicle. This was done before it was tabled in Parliament. 

While I have no problem in creating the jobs and even using Denel to manufacture them....I do have a problem with them costing around  R 42 459 144 each. Do they take off into outer space for this amount of money?

 - This defence project was approved before the Defence review & I don't know if the total amount of the acquisition has been disclosed to parliament yet.

- At a portfolio Committee meeting on 6/11/2013 The defence minister refused to take any questions on this project

- Assuming the production cost of 264 "Badger" infantry combat vehicles was R8 400 000 000 in 2011 as set out in Denel's 2012 annual report;

Has anyone seen the the Badger yet? or knows what the final cost will be???

THE NAVY UNDER HER LEADERSHIP

The 2014 overview presentation on the Navy stated that "Underachieved. SA Navy will be unable to provide one combat support ship, one diving team and two harbour patrol boats, whereas SAMHS will be unable to provide a Level 2 field hospital when required.

That's hilarious.....The Navy can't supply one combat ship!!!! 

D1_I06 Maritime Defence Number of hours at sea per year 5 22 000 11 080,7 Underachieved. The hours underutilised were due to unavailability of vessels that were delayed in maintenance cycles or where operational defects occurred and the repair process proved to be lengthy.

LOL LOL They don't have a ship!!

AIRFORCE

D1_I05 Air Defence Number of force employment hours flown per year 6 3004- 4 471 Underachieved. The requirements of Force Employment were less than predicted.Percentage of approved 

Capital Works Plan projects completed as scheduled per year R2_I02 100% (9)-  22.22% Nothing happening here....

Percentage litigation settled in favour of the DOD P1_I07 60% (31)= 44% (23)Underachieved. Owing to the fact that finalisation of court cases are beyond the control of DLSD. Some cases drag on beyond the reporting period due to complex dynamics.

Probably lost the cases due to them making up their own laws.

It looks like as usual the paperwork is lacking when it comes to the finances.

Blah blah.....all pretty boring and bordering on pretty much nothing really done.

WEAPONS LOST OR STOLEN

Defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula in September 2012 noted that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) lost or had stolen 51 firearms, including a machine gun and a grenade launcher, between 2009 and 2012, including 38 assault rifles (R5, R4 and R1). In Apr–May 2012 9 automatic assault rifles were stolen or lost (3 x R4 and 6 x R5). The weapons were in service with Joint Operations, the SA Army, SA Military Health Service and SA Air Force when they disappeared.

How do you lose a grenade launcher????

In 2010, then Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu said that in 2009, DoD firearms losses included five 9 mm pistols; six 5.56 mm rifles; seven 7.62 mm rifles; one 7.70 mm rifle; six 0.22 (5.56 mm) rifles; four 60 mm mortars; one 81 mm mortar; three 88 mm rocket launchers (probably out of service bazookas); two 40 mm grenade launchers; and one 70 mm rocket launcher (most likely a pod for air-to-ground rockets). Sisulu stated that that 142 weapons had gone missing in 2007, seven in 2008 and 36 in 2009.

THE POLICE HAVE LOST....The SA Police Service also regularly loses firearms - some 1335 SA Police Service firearms were reported lost or stolen during the financial year April 2011 to March 2011 - 101 of these weapons were were rifles, 46 were shotguns and the rest were handguns. 3226 SAPS firearms disappeared in 2009-10, with 2944 disappearing in 2008-09, and 2507 were lost or stolen in 2007-08. The recovery rate for lost or stolen police firearms was just 7%, according to the opposition Democratic Alliance.  It is no wonder the gangs are so well armed...it seems that they have a huge stockpile of hand guns 1335 +3226 + 2944 + 2507 = 10012 weapons.

WE HAVE NO MARITIME SURVEILLANCE CAPABILITIES. At the moment anyone who believes that we have a maritime surveillance capability is indulging in magnificent self-delusion - neither the C-47TPs nor the C-130s have the necessary capabilities,” Heitman stated.

I don't think we have any naval capabilities or any capabilities in the sky either.

Silvermine which used to be one of the top bunkers for air & sea rescue is pretty defunct as well.
It was a secret area built into and under the Mountain and as kids even adults we always wanted to go and see inside.

The SANDF as a whole is nothing to be proud of with mismanagement of facilities and lack of upkeep. Personnel are not treated correctly as shown at Oudtshoorn.  Our men that go abroad have been labelled the worst when it comes to rape of the local women. 
Simonstown was shown to be open and unguarded. Groote Schuur has pieces of fence falling off it and if you look at many of the installations they are run down and unkempt.