Defence Force transparency: Sisulu ought to release damning report
The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, must now back down and release the interim reports of the National Defence Force Service Commission (INDFSC) (see Sunday Times article).
The reports will provide vital information on the effect of soldiers' conditions of service on the combat readiness of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The first interim report was submitted on 5 November 2009 and makes findings on the effect of soldiers' service conditions on the combat readiness of the SANDF. The second interim report was submitted on 10 December 2009 and makes recommendations on soldiers' remuneration as well as the establishment of a permanent national defence force service commission. The second interim report reportedly contains damning findings including the fact that the "morale of troops" may threaten "state security".
However, the minister has consistently refused to release the reports:
- my requests for the reports to be provided to the portfolio committee on defence and military veterans as well as for the reports to be made public have been refused;
- my application for access to the reports under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (No. 2 of 2000) have been ignored; and
- requests from the Chairperson of the Portfolio committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Nyami Booi, have also been ignored.
The minister has not only dug in her heels and refused to release the reports but has gone further and tried to suggest that the first interim report submitted on 5 November 2009 did not really exist because it was "work in progress". On 13 April 2010 the minister told the portfolio committee on defence and military veterans that:
"...it [the first interim report submitted to the minister on 5 November 2009] was still work in progress. Their work has not yet been concluded. Therefore, there was no report."
The interim reports must be provided to the portfolio committee so that committee members are fully briefed on the effect of soldiers' service conditions on the combat readiness of the SANDF. The portfolio committee are currently legislating in the dark: committee members must pass legislation to provide for a permanent national defence force service commission, which will go a long way to improving soldiers service conditions in the defence force, but committee members cannot be briefed on service conditions in the defence force.
This makes no sense at all.
The bottom line is that we have hit a brick wall.
A Scopa-like confrontation now looms between the minister and the portfolio committee on defence and military veterans.
The DA therefore calls on Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, to immediately release the interim reports of the National Defence Force Service Commission.
Statement issued by David Maynier, MP, Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, July 26 2010
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