South Africa’s representative organisation for the defence industry – widely known by the acronym AMD – is leaderless following a delayed annual general meeting (AGM).
This is expected to be short-lived and will not impact on the work of the SA Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association, its sixth newsletter of 2024 has it.
The AGM was set down for 13 June but put on hold while post-election negotiations were underway. At that time AMD Executive Director and SAAMDEC (SA Aerospace Maritime and Defence Export Council) Chief Executive Officer Sandile Ndlovu was on record as saying the delay would be “prudent”. This would, according to him, “allow the political dust to settle and we have a government in place”.
On the current lack of a chairperson, the newsletter has it: “we [AMD] are actively engaged in the process of identifying and appointing a suitable candidate to fill this important role. Updates will be communicated as soon as they are available”.
At the AGM Nico Troostheide of GAC Laser was voted in as Vice Chairperson with TMI Simulation Solutions’ Thivash Moodley Honorary Treasurer and Ratilal Rowji from Global Command and Control Technologies (GC²T) Honorary Secretary.
The AGM saw nine AMD directors named to chair working committees to “drive various strategic initiatives crucial to our industry’s success,” the newsletter has it.
Incomar’s Riaz Saloojee heads the AMD Policy and Strategy committee with Sicelo Ngubane (MN Group) chairing its DIP (Defence Industrial Participation) and NIP (National Industrial Participation) sub-committee. Retsibile Sekhukhune chairs the SMME (small, medium, and micro enterprises), BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) and Skills Development sub-committee component of the policy and strategic committee.
Other committee chairs are Colin Singarum of Aselsan (Marketing); James Kerr of Orion Consulting (Manufacturing); Dr MC Zondi of Sandock Austral (Innovation and Future Defence); Zane Cleophas of Areta Holdings (Space); retired admiral Rusty Higgs of Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) (Exports); Dr Nivan Moodley of Saab Grintek Defence (Risk and Audit) and Sihle Mayisela (Hensoldt Optronics) charged with overseeing the AMD remuneration committee (REMCO).
Board members include Sefale Montsi (Damen Shipyards Cape Town), Cornelius Grundling (DCD Protected Mobility), Sipho Khoza (Denel), Gilbert do Nascimento (GEW Technologies), Brian Greyling (Paramount), Geoerge Hiralal (Reutech), Shafiek Hendricks (GRIMMS), Johan Agenbag (Thales SA Systems), Chris Gildenhuys (OTT Technologies), Damian de Lange (Twiga Services), Andrew Olivier (OTT Solutions), Fabian Msimang (Swatek Defence and Aerospace), and Isaac Motale (Lerumo/Tesame), Michelle Nxumalo (DCD Protected Mobility).
