Pretoria - South Africa's soldiers are well prepared to defend the nation and to carry out international missions envisaged by government, Chief of the SA Army Lieutenant-General Vusi Masondo said.
“We strive to ensure that we perform the tasks we are given by our government to the best of our ability and ensure that we optimise the usage of the resources that are placed at our disposal to ensure that we can succeed,” Masondo told reporters and numerous foreign military dignitaries at the vast SA Army Combat Training Centre in Lohatlha, Northern Cape on Thursday.
“It is from that angle that we can say we proudly carry out our responsibility to provide the necessary combat ready soldiers to reflect the programmes and aspirations of our government in as far as ACIRIC (African Capacity for Immediate Response to Crisis) and other tasks are concerned. You would recall that SA and other fledglings are expected to declare their ACIRIC pledge forces deployable before the end of this year.”
He said SA will be leading the continental military contingent. Masondo said the state of governance on the continent showed that there was always one factor or another that caused people to lose their right to peace and stability.
“Our country, as a major political player with the continent, has to be able to join other countries to provide the leadership and guidance to help rid our people of life-threatening conflicts whose brunt is largely borne by women, the elderly and children,” said Masondo.
“All the suffering we are facing as a continent will be addressed through the initiative of ACIRIC and also through the arrangements done by our continent in terms of the African Standby Force. Our principals made a pledge to create a force suitable for immediate intervention in hotspots across our vast continent. We have no option but to oblige.”
He said peace and stability across the continent was a catalyst for the economic development envisaged.
“We cannot enjoy the luxury of folding our hands, watching from a distance, or claim that African problems do not affect us. If we do that, we might have another genocide happening on our watch. Sitting idly while Africa burns is something we refuse to do as an African collective,” said Masondo.
The army chief addressed the gathering after a “fire-power demonstration” on an open day of Exercise Young Eagle, comprised of numerous members of the SA Army and the SA Air Force. The exercise was aimed at testing the combined might of both units of the SA National Defence Force in a full scale air and land assault capability demonstration.
According to the SA Army, such an operation is vital in ensuring that the SANDF timeously responds to domestic and continental security challenges.
ANA