Pretoria – Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says she hopes Parliament will treat the finalisation of the Defence Review as a matter of “critical urgency”.
The Defence Review Committee unveiled its comprehensive Defence Review Report earlier this year.
The objective of the review is to create a balanced, flexible and modern force, which uses advanced technology in response to the changing nature of the defence function globally.
The review was approved by Cabinet in March this year, and was thereafter sent to Parliament.
Addressing the media ahead of her department’s Budget Vote in Parliament on Wednesday, Minister Mapisa-Nqakula said the country is engaged in a useful but “long overdue” public discourse about the mandate and scope, the design and resourcing of the Defence Force going into the future.
“This discourse, based on the 2014 Defence Review, is finally now here in Parliament, and accordingly must constitute a significant part of this Budget Debate today.
“While there are many current topical issues and ongoing programmes within the defence environment, our work in this financial year has to be subject to the implementation programme of the Defence Review, once finalised by Parliament,” she said.
Minister Mapisa-Nqakula said the ministry has in the meantime created full-time capacity to develop a methodology for implementing the Defence Review after Parliament finalises it.
Rebuilding the force
The review essentially points to a decline in the capabilities of the Defence Force due to an insufficient budget allocated to defence.
In accordance with the Defence Review, in the coming years, the Defence Force must heighten its reaction, protection, peacekeeping and combat capabilities. Likewise, maritime and cyber-defence security must be upgraded.
Minister Mapisa-Nqakula said her department is looking at a Defence Development Programme spanning 20 years, divided into four Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) periods of five years each.
According to the minister, the first MTSF is the current period 2014/15 to 2018/10. The next five years strategic programme will be based on the aspects of the Defence Review for the first MTSF period.
“The strategic intent of the ministry in the next five years will be built into the planning cycle of government and will be aligned to support the National Development Plan (NDP), the New Growth Path and the Industrial Policy Action Plan,” Minister Mapisa-Nqakula said.
“In addition, it is also going to be important that the implementation of the Defence Review takes into consideration the tasks and commitments for defence arising from the new National Security Strategy,” she said.
The Defence Review also provides a coherent account of how the South African National Defence Force is able to contribute to South Africa’s overall socio-economic growth, if its policies are to be adequately financed, developed and implemented. – SAnews.gov.za
