The South African Air Force is selling its planes to=20 the people — after 75 years. Jan Taljaard reports
THE general wants all his planes to fly again. So does=20 the deputy minister, it seems. So they are going to=20 sell their airforce to none other than the people=20
Caught up in a struggle between the demands for social=20 upliftment and the needs of the defence force, it seems=20 the South African National Defence (SANDF) force has=20 indeed struck upon some novel ways to convert the=20 masses to its cause.
On Wednesday, the South African Air Force (SAAF)=20 officially kicked off its 75th birthday celebrations=20 with a grand parade of aeroplanes in the skies above=20 Pretoria. It was the first of many such events to be=20 held during the year, which will culminate in a four- day international military air show. The events will=20 all sell the official 75th-year celebration slogan:=20 “The pride of the nation.”
The celebrations are, however, not just a case of=20 attempting to resell the “people’s remaining planes” to=20 those who have already paid for them. Deputy defence=20 minister Ronnie Kasrils said this week the SAAF may be=20 forced to close down two of its three fighter squadrons=20 if further cuts are made to the defence budget this=20
At a media function to launch the celebration year,=20 chief of the SAAF Lieutenant-General James Kriel was=20 even more to the point: “Oh, for those planes to fly=20 again,” he remarked while pointing at a squadron of=20 C160 Transall transport planes lounging in magnificent=20 impotence next to the runway at Waterkloof air force=20 base outside Pretoria. The planes were removed from=20 duty during previous defence cuts.
It may seem that the range of gala events planned for=20 the celebration year flies directly in the face of=20 those who want money to build houses and provide social=20 services. But Kriel is adamant that the celebrations=20 will not cost the taxpayer one extra cent.
He explained that although it was not the SAAF’s turn=20 this year to benefit from annual SANDF fundraising=20 events — during which funds are usually garnered from=20 outside sponsors — the powers that be had made an=20 exception in the light of the SAAF’s 75-year milestone.=20 This milestone, incidentally, makes the SAAF the=20 second-oldest air force in the world.
Several companies have already joined the fray, among=20 them a soft-drink manufacturer which will issue special=20 commemorative tins, and a producer of breakfast foods=20 (for that flying start in the morning).
The plan then, it seems, is to convince the people that=20 the SAAF is willing to be their air force without=20 taking a cent of the money to be spent on social=20
To this end the SAAF has also invited display teams=20 from across the world to participate in the grand=20 finale during October. “The Russians are nibbling,”=20 Kriel confided, adding: “Just think of having a Mig 29=20 right here. The people will come in droves.”
Maybe so, but it remains to be seen how the sheer=20 visceral, but short-lived, thrill of two afterburners=20 each delivering up to 7 50 kg of pure unadulterated=20 thrust will stand up to the perhaps mundane but=20 enduring needs of the shack dwellers above whose heads=20 they will thunder briefly in October.