Firing of Armscor chairman General "Mojo" Motau welcomed

The fact that the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa Nqakula, has fired General "Mojo" Motau as chairperson of Armscor, should be welcomed.

General Motau managed to dodge the first bullet, when he was fired by the former Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, on 11 June 2012. 

However, he was unable to dodge the second bullet and was fired today by the minister "in the interests of the corporations ability to effectively deliver on its objective and mandate".

General Motau's first chairman's report read more like a speech by former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. 

Commenting on what he found when he took over as Armscor chairperson, Motau said: 

"The once glorious Armscor, that driver of technological advancement in the South African economy, that bastion of innovation, that flagship of strategic capabilities of the South African National Defence Force, was a mere shadow of its former self." 

Motau promised "drastic action".

However, the drastic action he promised included a controversial strategic plan, which had little support in the defence department, combined with a reign of terror which caused a civil war, as he purged senior staff members for inter alia, "inciting employees".

In the end, the fact that Armscor chairperson General "Mojo" Motau was fired is in the best interest of Armscor and the Defence Force.

Statement issued by David Maynier MP, DA Shadow Minister of Defence & Military Veterans, August 14 2013

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter