The hollowing out of the armed forces was laid bare in 2023, when it was disclosed that 85% of the air force’s aircraft fleet was out of action
The harbour master was ordered to allow the Russian cargo vessel to dock at the naval port and told not to board it
Mozambique is in no position to contribute significantly to the broader array of maritime security endeavours. That’s why international partners need to play a role
South Africa’s new military weapon takes a leaf out of the Libyan rebel forces’ handbook as it lands in Mozambique to fight insurgents
Fines are a slap on the wrist as trawlers simply return to sea, revealing the difficulty of patrolling SA’s 1.5-million kilometre square waters.
“This is the moment where African countries have to take control of their oceans, for the benefit of their own people.”
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota on Tuesday rejected claims that the South African Navy only had enough qualified crew to operate one of its new state-of-the-art submarines. ”I don’t know what the source of the information is that we can only operate one submarine … that is absolutely fallacious,” he told a media briefing at Parliament.
Senior African National Congress leader Tokyo Sexwale has called on President Thabo Mbeki to explain his involvement in the controversial multibillion-rand arms deal, a media report said on Sunday. Sexwale made an impassioned plea to a hushed ANC national executive committee meeting on Friday for Mbeki "to take the ANC into his confidence".
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/ 15 November 2007
Local companies have benefited to the tune of R850-million from defence offset contracts for equipment installed aboard the South African Navy’s four new Valour-class frigates. South Africa has acquired the four new frigates at a total cost of about €500-million (about R4,9-billion).
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/ 5 November 2007
A German manufacturing company has invested about R284-million in South Africa’s first fabrication yard for oil and gas platforms as part of a R1,7-billion investment pledge, government news agency BuaNews reported on Monday. MAN Ferrostaal has opened the fabrication yard for oil and gas platforms at Saldanha Bay near Cape Town.
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/ 14 October 2007
The Ntini fishing vessel docked at Mossel Bay on Saturday, nearly a week after its crew reported sighting an iceberg south-east of St Francis Bay, said the National Sea Rescue Institute. Spokesperson Craig Lambinon said that despite rumours to the contrary, no one on board had taken photographs of the iceberg.
It is highly unlikely that there could be a massive iceberg off St Francis Bay, a top South African Weather Service marine researcher said on Tuesday. On Monday, the crew of a fishing vessel, the Ntini, reported seeing a massive iceberg — estimated at 25m in length and 25m high.
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/ 4 September 2007
A lone South African submarine left some Nato commanders with red faces on Tuesday as it ”sank” all the ships of the Nato Maritime Group engaged in exercises with the South African Navy off the Cape coast. The SAS Manthatisi not only evaded detection by a joint Nato and South African Navy search party, it also ”sank” all the ships taking part in the fleet.
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/ 4 September 2007
The SAS Manthatisi has become the first naval submarine in the world to be brought into a new class by the International Classification Society, Germanischer Lloyd, the South African Navy said on Tuesday. ”Through the certification of SAS Manthatisi, the SA Navy adds another ”world first” to its long list of achievements,” Captain Digby Thomson said.
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/ 3 September 2007
Forget the blazing guns of yesteryear — these days naval warfare is a high-tech and sophisticated operation. This became clear on Monday as an exercise involving Nato warships and the South African Navy got under way off the South African coast.