NEWS & EVENTS - FINANCES
2 November 2005
Air Force may hire outsiders to train its pilots
Finances
The South African Air Force may outsource its basic pilot training to eliminate unsuitable candidates and save on the costs. The move follows a drop in the quality of pupil pilots selected for training that has resulted in a higher failure rate in ex...
3 October 2005
Airforce has a shortage of technicians
Finances
The following is a (very) rough translation from an Afrikaans article that appeared in Beeld:The resignation of a large number of technicians from the airforce has had a negative impact on the already low flight safety record of the organisation.Stat...
15 September 2005
Upgrade of Falcon 50 aircraft
Finances
It was published by Armscor that a contract for the upgrade of the two SAAF Falcon 50 VIP aircraft had been awarded to Duncan Aviation Inc of Nebraska, USA. Contract value is R60 101 956.90.Armscor...
13 September 2005
Flying the flag costs plenty
Finances
Pretoria - It cost the air force more than R616 000 a flight hour to take part in an airshow in Zimbabwe at the weekend. That included the number of hours it took to prepare for the airshow at Prince Charles Aerodrome outside Harare on Saturday. Air ...
22 August 2005
SANDF 'is falling apart'
Finances
Pretoria - As a result of staff problems and an annual financial deficit of R5bn, the defence force is, as far as military readiness is concerned,unable to fulfil its constitutional and African responsibilities. Nearly all divisions are affected by t...
2 August 2005
R600m needed for Rooivalk
Finances
A further R600m is required to complete the development of South Africa's Rooivalk attack helicopter, it was reported in Parliament on Tuesday. According to a report released to the Parliamentary defence committee, R200m per annum over the next t...
25 April 2005
New chief may battle to get air force off the ground
Finances
There have been delays in key programmes, including that of the Rooivalk attack helicopter WHEN an early 1940s South African Air Force Dakota aeroplane taxied along the runway preparing for a takeoff on Friday night from Makhado Air Force Base in Nor...
23 April 2005
How underfunding is hurting SA Air Force
Finances
Media reports that underfunding of the South African Air Force (SAAF) has caused the service to run down are correct, SAAF chief Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano said on Friday."In view of recent media reports and in line with SAAF Vision 2012, ...
5 April 2005
Submission to the Defence Portfolio Committee on the maintenance of State facilities utilised by the Department of Defence
Finances
The following are extracts from documents handed in at the above meeting held on 5 April 2005:Appendix A: Funds required in order to address the Deteriorating Condition of State Facilities Utilized by the DODRUNWAYSThe Department of Defence (SAAF) cu...
8 February 2005
SA defence department faces a budget noose
Finances
The South African Department of Defence is struggling in the face of increasing commitments and an indifferent Treasury. The department must find a further R80 million within its budget to fund an unexpected commitment of an infantry company to Darfu...
14 November 2004
High-flyer Zuma's 'jaunts' under fire
Finances
Deputy President Jacob Zuma and his entourage have flown on official government aircraft to destinations around South Africa 126 times in less than two years, at a cost to taxpayers of a whopping R11,2-million.Of these flights, 73 were to his home ci...
12 November 2004
Mbeki's jet needs extra R20m
Finances
President Thabo Mbeki's jet - named the Inkwazi - is set to require nearly R20m more than the R58m budgeted for running costs by the defence department over the next three years. The aircraft falls under the defence department vote.Although it is...
25 October 2004
Department of Defence (DoD) Annual Report for 2003/04 released
Finances
Herewith some selected SAAF related information I've extracted from the Department of Defence Annual Report for 2003/04, which was submitted to the parliamentary Defence Portfolio Committee on 12 October 2004.Annual Turnover Rates by Critical Occ...
14 October 2004
Denel appeals for funds to complete Rooivalk project
Finances
Denel, the state-owned arms manufacturer, says it needs government money to complete the development of its Rooivalk attack helicopter. Denel executives today told Parliament's public enterprises committee that the programme has cost R2 billion s...
31 May 2004
Rooivalk budget woes
Finances
The following is an extract from the Defence Ad Hoc Committee Budget Briefing held on 31 May 2004: Adv H Schmidt (DA) said the Rooivalk helicopter programme had not proceeded fast enough and that it would become difficult to market the programme. Mr ...
27 February 2004
Dogfight looms over SAAF fuel
Finances
The air force and the Nama Khoi municipality in Springbok are about to come to blows about aviation fuel.On Friday, on Oryx helicopter from Cape Town was refused fuel - because the air force apparently owes the municipality R97 000 for fuel. Apparent...
19 February 2004
Cheaper arms deal still 40% of defence spending
Finances
GOVERNMENT has lowered its overall cost estimate of SA's strategic arms acquisition package, largely due to the strengthening of the rand last year. But the cost of the package remains well over the original figure in current rand terms, and if t...
9 February 2004
Pilots take off about pay hikes
Finances
Erika Gibson Air force pilots are resorting to legal action because they still haven't received their market-related salary adjustments - despite having been promised them for the past three years. The air force even made this undertaking in pilo...
18 November 2003
Grintek wins South African Air Force AFRAS maintenance order
Finances
South Africa's Grintek has won a R21 million (US$3.1 million) contract to service a number of air field radar approach systems (AFRAS) at various SA Air Force bases up to 2007. The AFRAS assists air traffic controllers with bringing aircraft into...
14 October 2003
Air force pilots unhappy with salary increase
Finances
English summary: Air force pilots are unhappy that they only received the general public servant salary increase and not an increase to bring their salaries more in line with the commercial sector as stipluated in their contract.-----------------Vlie...
6 September 2003
Mbeki's jet: Taxpayers foot R13,5-million bill
Finances
South African taxpayers have paid about R13,5-million during the first six months for the presidential jet, Inkwazi's operational costs so that the country's leaders can arrive at their destinations timeously and effortlessly, the Afrikaans N...
16 July 2003
Flight costs taxpayer R270 000
Finances
Erika GibsonAn "urgent" flight with President Thabo Mbeki's brand new jet, Inkwazi, with only two passengers onboard to Kinshasa cost the taxpayer about R270 000.To add insult to injury, the jet returned empty and the two special envoys...
9 April 2003
Air Force losing skilled staff
Finances
By Wendell RoelfAggressive head-hunting by civilian airlines was contributing to the dearth of much needed skills and expertise in the South African Air Force, MPs attending a portfolio committee on defence heard on Tuesday. "In the last tw...
9 April 2003
Air Force clips its wings
Finances
By Donwald Pressly The South African Air Force is to reduce its staff by about 1,500 personnel to reach a figure of 10,000 in three years time, Lt Gen Roelf Beukes said in a briefing to Members of Parliament on Tuesday. Beukes, the Air Force chief, t...
18 October 2002
Presidential jet costs detailed
Finances
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota today disclosed further details of the new presidential jet, revealing that value added tax of about R82-million will be paid in addition to the more than R500-million purchase price. Lekota said the initial price of t...
Air Force may hire outsiders to train its pilots
Finances
The South African Air Force may outsource its basic pilot training to eliminate unsuitable candidates and save on the costs. The move follows a drop in the quality of pupil pilots selected for training that has resulted in a higher failure rate in ex...
Airforce has a shortage of technicians
Finances
The following is a (very) rough translation from an Afrikaans article that appeared in Beeld:The resignation of a large number of technicians from the airforce has had a negative impact on the already low flight safety record of the organisation.Stat...
Upgrade of Falcon 50 aircraft
Finances
It was published by Armscor that a contract for the upgrade of the two SAAF Falcon 50 VIP aircraft had been awarded to Duncan Aviation Inc of Nebraska, USA. Contract value is R60 101 956.90.Armscor...
Flying the flag costs plenty
Finances
Pretoria - It cost the air force more than R616 000 a flight hour to take part in an airshow in Zimbabwe at the weekend. That included the number of hours it took to prepare for the airshow at Prince Charles Aerodrome outside Harare on Saturday. Air ...
SANDF 'is falling apart'
Finances
Pretoria - As a result of staff problems and an annual financial deficit of R5bn, the defence force is, as far as military readiness is concerned,unable to fulfil its constitutional and African responsibilities. Nearly all divisions are affected by t...
R600m needed for Rooivalk
Finances
A further R600m is required to complete the development of South Africa's Rooivalk attack helicopter, it was reported in Parliament on Tuesday. According to a report released to the Parliamentary defence committee, R200m per annum over the next t...
New chief may battle to get air force off the ground
Finances
There have been delays in key programmes, including that of the Rooivalk attack helicopter WHEN an early 1940s South African Air Force Dakota aeroplane taxied along the runway preparing for a takeoff on Friday night from Makhado Air Force Base in Nor...
How underfunding is hurting SA Air Force
Finances
Media reports that underfunding of the South African Air Force (SAAF) has caused the service to run down are correct, SAAF chief Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano said on Friday."In view of recent media reports and in line with SAAF Vision 2012, ...
Submission to the Defence Portfolio Committee on the maintenance of State facilities utilised by the Department of Defence
Finances
The following are extracts from documents handed in at the above meeting held on 5 April 2005:Appendix A: Funds required in order to address the Deteriorating Condition of State Facilities Utilized by the DODRUNWAYSThe Department of Defence (SAAF) cu...
SA defence department faces a budget noose
Finances
The South African Department of Defence is struggling in the face of increasing commitments and an indifferent Treasury. The department must find a further R80 million within its budget to fund an unexpected commitment of an infantry company to Darfu...
High-flyer Zuma's 'jaunts' under fire
Finances
Deputy President Jacob Zuma and his entourage have flown on official government aircraft to destinations around South Africa 126 times in less than two years, at a cost to taxpayers of a whopping R11,2-million.Of these flights, 73 were to his home ci...
Mbeki's jet needs extra R20m
Finances
President Thabo Mbeki's jet - named the Inkwazi - is set to require nearly R20m more than the R58m budgeted for running costs by the defence department over the next three years. The aircraft falls under the defence department vote.Although it is...
Department of Defence (DoD) Annual Report for 2003/04 released
Finances
Herewith some selected SAAF related information I've extracted from the Department of Defence Annual Report for 2003/04, which was submitted to the parliamentary Defence Portfolio Committee on 12 October 2004.Annual Turnover Rates by Critical Occ...
Denel appeals for funds to complete Rooivalk project
Finances
Denel, the state-owned arms manufacturer, says it needs government money to complete the development of its Rooivalk attack helicopter. Denel executives today told Parliament's public enterprises committee that the programme has cost R2 billion s...
Rooivalk budget woes
Finances
The following is an extract from the Defence Ad Hoc Committee Budget Briefing held on 31 May 2004: Adv H Schmidt (DA) said the Rooivalk helicopter programme had not proceeded fast enough and that it would become difficult to market the programme. Mr ...
Dogfight looms over SAAF fuel
Finances
The air force and the Nama Khoi municipality in Springbok are about to come to blows about aviation fuel.On Friday, on Oryx helicopter from Cape Town was refused fuel - because the air force apparently owes the municipality R97 000 for fuel. Apparent...
Cheaper arms deal still 40% of defence spending
Finances
GOVERNMENT has lowered its overall cost estimate of SA's strategic arms acquisition package, largely due to the strengthening of the rand last year. But the cost of the package remains well over the original figure in current rand terms, and if t...
Pilots take off about pay hikes
Finances
Erika Gibson Air force pilots are resorting to legal action because they still haven't received their market-related salary adjustments - despite having been promised them for the past three years. The air force even made this undertaking in pilo...
Grintek wins South African Air Force AFRAS maintenance order
Finances
South Africa's Grintek has won a R21 million (US$3.1 million) contract to service a number of air field radar approach systems (AFRAS) at various SA Air Force bases up to 2007. The AFRAS assists air traffic controllers with bringing aircraft into...
Air force pilots unhappy with salary increase
Finances
English summary: Air force pilots are unhappy that they only received the general public servant salary increase and not an increase to bring their salaries more in line with the commercial sector as stipluated in their contract.-----------------Vlie...
Mbeki's jet: Taxpayers foot R13,5-million bill
Finances
South African taxpayers have paid about R13,5-million during the first six months for the presidential jet, Inkwazi's operational costs so that the country's leaders can arrive at their destinations timeously and effortlessly, the Afrikaans N...
Flight costs taxpayer R270 000
Finances
Erika GibsonAn "urgent" flight with President Thabo Mbeki's brand new jet, Inkwazi, with only two passengers onboard to Kinshasa cost the taxpayer about R270 000.To add insult to injury, the jet returned empty and the two special envoys...
Air Force losing skilled staff
Finances
By Wendell RoelfAggressive head-hunting by civilian airlines was contributing to the dearth of much needed skills and expertise in the South African Air Force, MPs attending a portfolio committee on defence heard on Tuesday. "In the last tw...
Air Force clips its wings
Finances
By Donwald Pressly The South African Air Force is to reduce its staff by about 1,500 personnel to reach a figure of 10,000 in three years time, Lt Gen Roelf Beukes said in a briefing to Members of Parliament on Tuesday. Beukes, the Air Force chief, t...
Presidential jet costs detailed
Finances
Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota today disclosed further details of the new presidential jet, revealing that value added tax of about R82-million will be paid in addition to the more than R500-million purchase price. Lekota said the initial price of t...
