Charged with, among others, ensuring salaries and service benefits of uniformed SA National Defence Force (SANDF) personnel are fair, the Defence Force Service Commission (DFSC) this month got to grips with SA Navy (SAN) personnel at Naval Base (NB) Simon’s Town.
After two days of consultation, discussions and presentations, the DFSC delegation under the leadership of Acting Chair Sebina Hlapolosa found the maritime service had much in common with the three other SANDF services – the SA Army, SA Air Force (SAAF) and SA Military Health (SAMHS). This was evident in that DFSC commissioners heard SAN personnel raise equipment shortages and maintenance issues previously brought to DFSC attention by airmen and women, medics and soldiers.
“These,” a DFSC statement has it, “influence the Navy’s ability to fulfil its maritime security responsibilities, raising long term concerns about South Africa’s national defence readiness”.
This situation is worsened by personnel shortages with many posts reportedly not filled due to continuous budget cuts, corporate poaching and “recruitment challenges”. These, the statement reads, “put additional strain on the workforce, impacting negatively on operational efficiency and overall morale”.
The two-day stopover at SAN fleet headquarters ended with a debriefing session with Hlapolosa naming some areas for intervention. These included accommodation/facilities, career development, transport, infrastructure, injury on duty vs compensation, rotation of members, Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) contract, working hours policy implementation, disciplinary action and demotion of personnel.
Post the Simon’s Town visit, the DFSC will study its findings, report and make recommendations to Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga. A follow-up visit is planned within two years to see if recommendations are implemented in accordance with a yet to be issued Ministerial directive.
On its role the DFSC notes it will continue promoting the welfare and wellbeing of SANDF personnel as management of the national defence force faces up to –and hopefully overcomes – the challenges facing it. In the case of the maritime service, the DFSC says naval personnel must be adequately supported.
