Vandalism and theft leave historic SAAF base dependent on generator power

The oldest base in the SA Air Force (SAAF), now one of three components in the Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing (AF MDW), is dependent on generators for its power needs.

The reasons for this, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament (MP) Thapelo Mogale was told by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga, are theft and vandalism. His Parliamentary question does not give specific dates when the MDW was in the dark – so to speak – with the written response to his question appearing on the Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG) on 9 April so the lack of electricity appears to be an ongoing issue.

This because his question is not the first regarding the lack of power at MDW with Democratic Alliance (DA) defence and military veterans point man Chris Hattingh given much the same answer as Mogale in June last year.

Motshekga’s written response to Mogale makes it clear MDW Central, comprising what was Air Force Base (AFB) Swartkop, home to 17 Squadron and the SAAF Museum, is the only part of the broader MDW where generator power is used. The other MDW components are Snake Valley (MDW East) on the eastern side of the base and the former SAAF Gymnasium (MDW West) opposite the base proper on the western side in Valhalla.

On the northern side of the MDW is the SAAF Memorial on Bays Hill which, according to Motshekga, is part of the MDW area of operational responsibilities due to co-location.

Mogale was informed theft and vandalism has escalated to the extent there is no Eskom electricity on the base. It is part of the area supplied by what is said to be the Eskom Lyttelton electricity grid with two sub-stations vandalised and day-to-day operations supported by 11 mobile generators ranging in output from 15 to 250 kVA (kilovolt amperes), a measure of apparent power representing total capacity of an electrical system, different to kW (kilowatt) which measures usable power.

Diesel use for the generators varies between 12 000 and 16 900 litres a month which, the Motshekga reply has it, cost the SAAF between R237 840 and R 334 958 a month for the 2025/26 financial year at a per litre price of R19.82.

In addition to his inquiries about electricity supply to MDW last year, Hattingh was informed of problems caused by ground subsidence – the base and adjacent areas are all on dolomitic ground – affecting base roads as well as water and sewage infrastructure.

Vandalism, in the form of wanton damage to the Bays Hill SAAF Memorial on the MDW northern boundary, was first reported in November 2023 with “security options” under investigation to prevent further incidents.

In response to a DefenceWeb inquiry at that time, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Directorate Corporate Communication (DCC) said sensors, alarms as well as permanent guards and sentries were among options under investigation to secure the memorial.

“In the interim,” the response read in part, “the protection squadron will conduct the site in their nightly and early morning rounds”. This presumably refers to 500 Squadron, the security services unit assigned the MDW as its area of responsibility along with 501 and 502 which looks after the nearby TEK base, home to 68 Air School.

“In the medium term, the Acting Officer Commanding AF MDW will erect double fencing around the inner perimeter of the Memorial Site and place K9 units between the two fences at night,” the DCC response said, adding costs and lead time investigations were underway and “will be confirmed once a contractor has been selected”.

Also on security at the facility, bounded by the Johannesburg/Pretoria highway on the east and the Old Johannesburg Road on the west, DCC noted in its 2023 response it was “not adequate”. This was put down to a personnel shortage in the security squadron and implementation of what was termed “safeguarding” as a regimental duty. This would see all personnel based at MDW, irrespective of where and assigned to which unit, do duty at their respective force structure elements and sections guarding “own assets”. 

Republished with permission of DefenceWeb.