The SA National Defence Force was not optimally focused or appropriately equipped for its most likely tasks in the next five to ten years, an academic said on Thursday.
Addressing the SA Institute of International Affairs on defence transformation and new security considerations Professor Garth Shelton said conflict in Africa had declined since 1999 and that sub-Saharan Africa was the region least affected by the United States’ war on terrorism.
The threat of conventional and unconventional conflict, including terror attacks, was low, he said. But there was a growing threat to the country in the shape of increasing poverty, unemployment, crime, illegal migration, disease, famine, social decay, economic marginalisation, ecological degradation and spill over from neighbouring conflicts.
”Is the SANDF ready to face these new threats? I believe they can significantly contribute in at least five of these areas,” he said. These were more support to the police in the fight against crime, more patrols along the border to prevent trans-border crime and unauthorised migration, increased humanitarian support, particularly with the looming famine in Southern Africa, disaster relief along the lines of that rendered in Mozambique in 2000 and regional conflict prevention through peace-keeping operations.
With regards to the latter, a larger proportion of the defence force had to be deployed on such tasks. Shelton’s observations drew a lively response from the audience, with retired airforce general Len le Roux saying the SANDF only received seven percent of the national budget.
Most of what Shelton wanted done was the responsibility of the rest of government with the other 93% of that budget. Retired admiral Evert Groenewald said the use of armoured force was always a state’s last resort. A country also had to design its defence according ”to the lead you want to play in”. This meant that although some equipment could be put to good use in peace time, not all could be. A serious defence force could also not be trained and equipped solely with humanitarian well-being and welfare in mind. – Sapa