Bases collapse in ruins

The following is a very rough translation of an Afrikaans article that appeared in Beeld newspaper:

By Erika Gibson

The Air Force has just two technicians that can repair aircraft at the Central Flying School in Langebaanweg in the Western Cape.  Also, one has only three months experience.

This is badly affecting the base's ability to keep aircraft serviceable and thereby help the Air Force achieve its strategic objectives.

This came to light when the parliamentary portfolio committee on defense visited Langebaanweg, Durban, Bloemspruit (in the Free State), Hoedspruit and Makhado airforce bases recently.

The effects of a shrinking air force budget, particularly the suspension of the technical servicing contract for aircraft maintenance with Denel, is clear from the committee's findings. The contract was canceled in 2012 for all but a handful of technical specialists.

According to the report, the "dysfunctional" relationship with the Department of Public Works (DPW), which is responsible for the maintenance and replacement of military buildings, is the other reason for the "shocking decay and degradation."

So the staff at AFB Hoedspruit go without air conditioning in the offices because the existing equipment is too old to function properly. It costs more to maintain than the Air Force can afford while the PWD is responsible for its replacement. The surrounding communities' water consumption also leads to the air base's personnel chronically without water.

The recent floods in the area damaged buildings, washing roads away and a bridge to the base was washed away. The airforce personnel and the community had to repair the bridge repaired and plug the holes in the road. Only 41% of the base's vehicles are serviceable.

The retrenchment of the Denel technicians at the base may lead to its aircraft, a strategic asset for the country, to be badly neglected as specialised servicing is no longer possible.

The power station at AFB Makhado does not work and the DPW cannot say when it will work again. It exploded earlier this year precisely because of lack of maintenance. Since then the base has to pay R50 000 per day from its poor operating budget for generators to keep the base and the housing area going.

This seriously affects the operation of the aircraft because both are served by the same budget. Only 39% of vehicles are serviceable.

The air base in Durban is dilapidated because they have waited eight years for permission to move the base to the new King Shaka Airport. Meanwhile, no maintenance is authorized.

Meanwhile, the aircraft are housed 60 km far from the "old" basis at King Shaka, with the base support at the old base.

The sick bay does not even have an ambulance to transport the sick.

David Maynier, DA MP, said the heroic efforts of some bases commanders were being hampered by the clumsy DPW. "Control must be given back to the Defence Force to correct the R13bn backlog in infrastructure maintenance."