DEFENCE and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga has raised concerns about weaknesses in the state arms manufacturer, Denel, that are impacting on the performance of the country’s military.
The minister said as a result of the problems at Denel, army personnel are having to wait long periods to receive new vehicles or have their existing vehicles repaired.
Motshekga revealed this during a meeting with the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) this week, where she outlined the challenges faced by her department.
She also disclosed that it is not only Denel causing headaches with delivery of projects; other companies tasked with providing infrastructure to the department are falling behind, with some projects being ten years behind schedule.
“I had gone to Denel to talk to them about the vehicles we had ordered or had repaired, and it was taking too long. The weaknesses within Denel affect us as a department because they are our arm that is supposed to empower us,” she said.
“With the weaknesses in Denel, we buy overseas, and it takes forever. There have been instances where we ordered spares eight months ago, and they have not arrived,” said the minister.
Motshekga said despite the delays, Denel is a national strategic entity that “we need as a country”.
“We have inherited a very good structure in Denel, and I think our responsibility is to save Denel because it has huge potential. It is an important strategic asset, and there are huge contracts we are chasing through Denel,” she said.
She stated that although Denel has challenges, the “new Denel” is not like the old Denel.
She added that the new Denel is addressing debts from the previous management, which had taken money to manufacture arms but never delivered on those arms and the money has to be paid. She highlighted that Denel has significant capacity to create employment.
“But the worst situation we found in the military was a contract that had been given; the hospital was not completed. They were renovating and buying equipment, but by the time they finished, the equipment was obsolete. We have had to donate some of the equipment because, quite clearly, from the progress that is happening, they won’t be on time,” she said.
Scopa Chairperson Songezo Zibi said there seems to be a general collapse of strategic procurement within the Department of Defence and the Defence Force, where the department procures goods that do not yield the expected benefits.
“There was the procurement of medical equipment to the procurement of armoured vehicles; it's too long a period for that money to have been spent and Denel not delivered,” he said.
Kobus Marais, an independent defence analyst, said Denel is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of most of our landward vehicles and armaments, strategic helicopters (Oryx and Rooivalk), and many ammunition types, including small and calibre munitions and missiles.
“Denel can and should be managed by competent managers, which could reposition Denel as a sustainable and profitable entity. Denel always was, and in my opinion, must still be a strategic asset to secure the protection of our sovereignty and integrity,” he said.
Cape Times