Pretoria - Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are to receive their salary increases, ranging from two, to 65 percent this week.
In December last year, President Jacob Zuma announced that the salary adjustments would be backdated to 1 July 2009. About 55 000 defence personnel are expected to receive their salary increases.
"The fact that within days the leadership of the Department worked hard to find the money, and kick started the process to pay soldiers is an indication of their commitment to improve the conditions of service of soldiers," said Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu.
She said the leadership of the SANDF were continuing to implement a programme to improve the living conditions of soldiers.
"We have introduced new grievances and complain management systems to ensure that soldiers' problems and complaints are managed and concluded as quickly as possible. This has been a problem for more than 16 years in the SANDF. We are now dealing with it. Many of our bases are being upgraded; we want to ensure that soldiers have all basic social and economic amenities," she said.
The Minister said amendments to the Defence Act to establish the National Defence Force Service Commission will ensure the implementation of a new dispensation for the SANDF.
"With the new dispensation; we would be able to care for our soldiers in a way that recognise the contribution they make to our national security. This is one issue the leadership of the SANDF has been concerned about since my appointment, and we are happy the process is going to be completed soon," she said.
