D.Ranger
09-05-2005, 08:43 AM
Here is an article I came across. I was wondering if other people feel the samy way as Lekota...
'SA is safe'
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1765268,00.html
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Pretoria - South Africa's military was ready and able to protect the country against any conceivable threat, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said on Monday.
"South Africa is safe," he told reporters in Pretoria.
"There is no possible threat to this country that we can't respond to. There is absolutely nothing we cannot deal with."
Rejecting media reports of problems in the military, Lekota said the SA National Defence Force was capable of executing its core function - protecting South Africa from attacks.
Its support for law enforcement agencies and peace missions abroad were secondary roles, and not what its state of readiness should be judged on.
He questioned the patriotism of journalists reporting on supposed threats to South Africa due to military incompetence. Such reporting created unnecessary fear among citizens and could harm investor confidence and tourism.
The minister said a past decline in readiness due to ageing equipment has since been "stabilised'' through acquisitions.
The SANDF has for the past five years been building and equipping the air force and navy, and was now focusing on boosting its land-based defences.
He stressed the difference between the needs of the current defence force and those of its apartheid-era predecessor - which required a capability to attack its neighbours, then considered enemies.
"Today we are only getting ourselves ready for the unlikely event anybody attacks us. We have moved from being an outcast to being a trusted member of the (southern African) region."
By cultivating security in the region and on the African continent through its involvement in peacekeeping initiatives, South Africa was creating for itself an "armour of defence", Lekota said.
"Peace is a more important weapon of security than any number of guns you can have, just ask the Americans," he added.
The minister rejected any notion conflict-ridden Zimbabwe posed a military threat to South Africa.
"Militarily, Zimbabwe is not a threat to South Africa. It has no intention as far as we are aware and we are quite satisfied about that."
Issues such as illegal migration arising from Zimbabwe's troubled state was not for the military to handle but the responsibility of police and immigration authorities.
"We (the defence force) are there to kill the enemies of South Africa," the minister said.
Asked about the SANDF's state of readiness concerning natural disasters, he underscored the unlikeliness of a typhoon or hurricane hitting South Africa. "We mustn't overstretch our imaginations."
It was government policy not to budget for unforeseen problems but to focus on immediate concerns such as housing and education.
But there were sufficient resources to handle most eventualities, and a special budget for disaster management in the department of provincial and local government.
"Surely it cannot be expected of South Africa to put aside billions (of rands) on expectations of a hurricane or a tsunami. These things are not regular here."
The defence force of every country had to built on the basis of whatever threats it was likely to face, he stressed.
It would be a waste of money to have to maintain unnecessarily large numbers of equipment.
"South Africa must adjust her defences in keeping with the times in which she lives and in keeping with conceivable threats."
Personally, I sense that there are postive changes going, as we have been weaker... but I am still not satisfied... And did he forget about the Tornado in Mannenberg (98/99), or our ability to cop serious floods and mud-slides? (Lainesberg being the biggest)...
Can't wait for the Griffons to arrive woot[quote]
'SA is safe'
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1765268,00.html
Related Articles :
Paper in trouble over spy story
Lekota defends R10bn Airbus buy
Pretoria - South Africa's military was ready and able to protect the country against any conceivable threat, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota said on Monday.
"South Africa is safe," he told reporters in Pretoria.
"There is no possible threat to this country that we can't respond to. There is absolutely nothing we cannot deal with."
Rejecting media reports of problems in the military, Lekota said the SA National Defence Force was capable of executing its core function - protecting South Africa from attacks.
Its support for law enforcement agencies and peace missions abroad were secondary roles, and not what its state of readiness should be judged on.
He questioned the patriotism of journalists reporting on supposed threats to South Africa due to military incompetence. Such reporting created unnecessary fear among citizens and could harm investor confidence and tourism.
The minister said a past decline in readiness due to ageing equipment has since been "stabilised'' through acquisitions.
The SANDF has for the past five years been building and equipping the air force and navy, and was now focusing on boosting its land-based defences.
He stressed the difference between the needs of the current defence force and those of its apartheid-era predecessor - which required a capability to attack its neighbours, then considered enemies.
"Today we are only getting ourselves ready for the unlikely event anybody attacks us. We have moved from being an outcast to being a trusted member of the (southern African) region."
By cultivating security in the region and on the African continent through its involvement in peacekeeping initiatives, South Africa was creating for itself an "armour of defence", Lekota said.
"Peace is a more important weapon of security than any number of guns you can have, just ask the Americans," he added.
The minister rejected any notion conflict-ridden Zimbabwe posed a military threat to South Africa.
"Militarily, Zimbabwe is not a threat to South Africa. It has no intention as far as we are aware and we are quite satisfied about that."
Issues such as illegal migration arising from Zimbabwe's troubled state was not for the military to handle but the responsibility of police and immigration authorities.
"We (the defence force) are there to kill the enemies of South Africa," the minister said.
Asked about the SANDF's state of readiness concerning natural disasters, he underscored the unlikeliness of a typhoon or hurricane hitting South Africa. "We mustn't overstretch our imaginations."
It was government policy not to budget for unforeseen problems but to focus on immediate concerns such as housing and education.
But there were sufficient resources to handle most eventualities, and a special budget for disaster management in the department of provincial and local government.
"Surely it cannot be expected of South Africa to put aside billions (of rands) on expectations of a hurricane or a tsunami. These things are not regular here."
The defence force of every country had to built on the basis of whatever threats it was likely to face, he stressed.
It would be a waste of money to have to maintain unnecessarily large numbers of equipment.
"South Africa must adjust her defences in keeping with the times in which she lives and in keeping with conceivable threats."
Personally, I sense that there are postive changes going, as we have been weaker... but I am still not satisfied... And did he forget about the Tornado in Mannenberg (98/99), or our ability to cop serious floods and mud-slides? (Lainesberg being the biggest)...
Can't wait for the Griffons to arrive woot[quote]