Maj Gen Ngema Calls for Innovative Ways in the SAAF
Date: 12 February 2008
By Solomon M. Kotane, Ad Astra magazine
It is instructive how world history repeats itself in funny and uncanny ways. The underlying factors, which led to both the First and Second World Wars, remain largely the same. It has been a shamefully thorny and tediously long way from Apartheid colonialism to peacetime for South Africa.
Slightly over three decades ago, Soweto, west of Johannesburg, and other urban parts of South Africa, gave birth to their own unique breed of children. They were born and grew up under the shadow of the tumultuous infernos and infectious uprisings that covered the entire country in the 1970s and beyond. In the end thousands of young black men, women and children perished at the hands of hordes of government gendarmes, who lorded it over the social system at the time.
But, out of the carnage that characterised South Africa then, new young leaders of the struggle for freedom and human rights were catapulted into the scene. That moment ushered in the beginning of democracy in the country.
The South African Air Force's (SAAF's) Major General Nhlanhla Ngema emerged from the crucible. He was born in Sophiatown and grew up in Soweto, where he matriculated at Orlando High School in 1971. He survived the gruesome human suffering that had engulfed Gauteng's southwestern townships (Soweto) since 16 June 1976.
Talking to the Ad Astra magazine in October 2007, Gen Ngema elaborated on the short and long-term plans for the South African Air Force (SAAF). He said the key would be for the SAAF to survive the "challenging period of uncertainty and low budget," and the serviceability of equipment. Also, he lamented the exodus of experienced personnel from the organisation.
Maj Gen Ngema called for the complete rejuvination of the SAAF and the training of the inexperienced young people in the Air Force. He noted that there "is need to get a good footprint in the Air Force Bases (AFB) Waterkloof, Hoedspruit and Durban. The erection of new runaways and appropriate facilities would allow the anticipated A400 aircraft to land with ease, he pointed out. The exercise, he noted, would establish an aviation village called the Centurion Aerospace Village in the Waterkloof vicinity.
The General emphasised the need to put a comprehensive selection system in place to identify the correct potential aircrew. Presently, he said, we are guided by the matriculation results in choosing the personnel. He argued that achieving excellent senior certificate symbols does not necessarily mean one has commensurate physical coordination of the hands, mind and the brain.
Alternatively, he continued, "you might want to drop a candidate from aviation selection, simply because his symbols appear poor. But, in reality, you might discover that he has phenomenal coordination abilities. So, to "all intents and purposes, this criterion seems unscientific," he echoed.
The General said there is a new scientific aviation equipment in the market that measures the potential of candidates. He described the "Vienna Test", a traditional equipment used to test the potential of recruits, as euro centric. He reckoned that there has never been an attempt by the manufacturers to "africanise the equipment" to ensure that it catered for the unique African features and traits.
Speaking about the Air Policy and Plans, he said: "The manner in which we are structured in the Air Command and Air Force Office makes our lives difficult because we cannot obtain any efficient decision-making support system." He noted that the AF needed a specific group of persons who would focus on transformation and report quarterly to the AF authorities.
He noted that they were "forced to work with the limited manpower available, whilst faced by a huge task of formulating strategies, plans and policies. He believes that the Air Force needs the services of a comprehensive think-tank. This he said might be composed of experienced SAAF members, including some independent persons who have interest in aviation.
The General said that he believed in the "one-force-concept," regarding the Reserve Force (RF), if only it could be handled with care. He noted that it could be a force-multiplier, in the sense that, the Reserves are volunteers, who come with skills for use in the AF. Most of them are entrepreneurs, who do not totally depend on the AF for remuneration and they offer their services at their own risk. "It is up to the regular force to tap into this pool of experience," he intimated.
Furthermore, the General believed that the SAAF is a national organization in which any member of the society can realise his potential through its varied disciplines such as administrative studies and food technology. It only requires discipline, sobriety, dedication and pride. In such an organization, he pointed out; "we are likely to produce a well-developed cadet system."
He was twenty-six-years at the time of the uprising. Hardly could it have crossed his youthful mind, that one day, he would become a Chief Director Policy and Plans in the South African Air Force (SAAF). He had earlier been locked up by the police for one month at Harrismith Prison, Free State Province, for participating in the uprising there in solidarity with the youth of Soweto.
It was a meandering route, from the tarmac around Orlando High School, in the heart of Soweto, to a highly populated Zaria, which is sandwiched between Kaduna and Kano states in northern Nigeria, where he trained for fours years as a pilot at the military camp in Maiduguri. The place is located in the high plains of Nigeria, where the population was estimated at 197,500 persons thirty years ago. He obtained a Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) with Instrument and Multi-engine rating (CPL, IR, ME) at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Centre (NCATC).
The cultural shock traumatized him at the time. When his group of young South Africans arrived in the capital of Nigeria, Lagos, in 1977, the political situation there was extremely brittle and the suppressed turmoil was virtually palpable.
The country was still reeling from the wounds and debris of the eight-year Biafran war. The eastern Nigerian state had surrendered and the civil war had come to the end in 1970. Nigeria's Eastern Region had earlier declared itself an independent republic. The civil war had broken out between Biafra and the rest of Nigeria.
It was the time of the oil boom. Everything was helter-skelter. The value of the local currency, the Naira, stood at approximately one-to-one to a United States dollar. Today, the value has plummeted to an all-time low. All sorts of automobiles and other mobile claptraps were strewn on the potholed streets of the capital. On completion of the aviation course in 1980, he proceeded to Bagamoyo military camp in the littoral Tanzanian city of Dar-es-Salaam, where he underwent a Cessna conversion.
From 1982 to 1986 Maj Gen Ngema resided in Zimbabwe, a newly democratic country by then, where, through the Government's District Development Fund (DDF), he undertook conversion courses on C182, 205, 206 and 402 aircraft. In 1985 he crossed the mammoth Zambezi River into Zambia, where he trained for the flight instructor's course at the Zambia Air Services Training Institute (ZASTI). After completion of the course he returned to Harare, where he flew various transport aircraft in Zimbabwe.
In 1986, he went to Zambia to do an Instructor's Course. Pegasus Air Service Training Institute in Texas, USA, Meachum Field, where he converted to the Texas Conversion Viscount 800/700. Three years later, he proceeded abroad once more. This time around he flew to BAE 146 Hatfield, London. Finally, in 1991, he did a conversion course on the Boeing 767, extended range, in Seattle, Washington, USA.
In a interview with the Ad Astra magazine in late July, Maj Gen Ngema lamented that "the new dispensation has not been transformed enough to accommodate the black child." He was commenting on the repeated dilemma of women being excluded from training as pilots in the SAAF. The key aspect of the argument in this regard is that females are often lighter than men (about 56 kgs), whereas males' mass range from 60 kgs upwards. The debate about the sizes, efficacy and functionality of all types of ejection systems rages on unabated.
The General's input into the debate is that if females, particularly black ones are lighter, then it is incumbent upon the SAAF to ensure that the women's mass is either increased or decreased, as the technical requirement might be. He added that it is an obligation of the Air Force to ensure that the females are ready to fly if they so wish.
Contrarily, according to other aeronautical analysts, including the British company, Martin Baker, that makes the fighter aircraft ejection seats, the problem does not only affect women, but all persons who do not meet the specifications. They argue that there are men and women of all races and sizes, who are unable to fly for one reason or the other. It is not a unique South African technical problem.
Martin-Baker has the capability to support the entire escape system development and qualification processes necessary to meet the demanding and diverse requirements of government authorities worldwide. It is the world's longest established and most experienced manufacturers of ejection seats and related equipment to safeguard the aviator throughout the escape, survival, location and recovery phases.
In (mostly military) aircraft, the ejection seat is a system designed to rescue the pilot or other crew in an emergency. In most designs, the seat is propelled out of the aircraft by an explosive charge or rocket motor, carrying the occupant with it. The concept of an ejectable escape capsule has also been tried. Once clear of the aircraft, the ejection seat deploys a parachute and descends safely to earth.
Back in South Africa in the early nineties, General Ngema joined the Transport Policy Formulation Desk at the African National Congress (ANC) Headquarters (Shell House), Johannesburg, under the then Minister of Transport Mac Maharaj. He had a colourful military career after being integrated into the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). He was initially appointed as a colonel and Director of Integration at the South African Air Force (SAAF) Headquarters.
Immediately, thereafter, he moved like an electric eel through the ranks. In 1998 he was promoted to a rank of Brigadier General and became Director System Evaluation, and the following year (February 1999) he was promoted to SAAF's Inspector General (Air Force Office) status.
Two months later he was elevated to Commanding Officer Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof. And this was not the end of the story. After one year, SAAF authorities promoted him to a Chief Director Air Policy and Plans, with the rank of Major General. Four months afterwards he was made Chief Director National Aviation Academy.
Currently, he serves on fourteen SAAF forums, which include the Air Force Board and Air Force Staff Council. He is also a chief patron for Siyandiza National Aviation Awareness Programme (SNAAP) and the South African National Aviation Agency (SNAA). They are owned by the Government and aimed at benefiting all citizens.
Siyandiza is a SAAF aviation drive amongst previously disadvantaged communities. It also sensitises the youth on aviation careers in both the Air Force and civil aviation. The General has visited many schools and also addressed a variety of forums in the country.
Maj Gen Ngema has flown the following aircraft: Boeing 767 - ER200, Beechcraft King Air 200, Beechcraft B-55 (Beech Baron). He has also piloted Cessnas 402, 310, 207, 206, 205, 185, 182, 172, 152, and a PC-7. He holds two Air Traffic Pilots Lisences from Zimbabwe and USA.
He is not only an ardent senior aviator and keen swimmer and sports enthusiast, but also a loving father of five. His first-born is Jennifer Thokozile (33), followed by Thandi Betty (29), Sibonokuhle (19), Mokaile Mantsipe Lerato (24) and Tebogo Tatenda (17). Maj Gen Ngema has a taste for classical music and African lyrics.
He is also a strong believer in justice and fairness, and starts each day with a moment of Scripture reading and prayer. He is totally opposed to racism and discrimination, regardless of colour, and also likes to improve other people's lives. He has since married Mrs Masego Ngema in June 2007 and they have a baby-boy called Emmanuel.SAAF
Reprinted with the kind permission of Ad Astra magazine, the official journal of the SAAF.
