Cash Crisis cripples South African Air Force

[CougarKing]

Don't these problems sound familiar? Perhaps the SAAF can implement an overseas recruiting program similar to the ADF where prior service military personnel from certain other military forces can join?

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=139&ar...0808060522211C600571

Cash crisis cripples SAAF
Graeme Hosken
August 08 2008 at 06:58AM

The South African Air Force (SAAF) is almost powerless to defend the country from an aerial attack or control the country's skies...

...The cashflow problems have revealed that the military has been rendered almost entirely powerless to repel an aerial attack against South Africa.

Of the 366 posts available for the Gripen, Hawk and Augusta helicopter programmes, which include air and ground crew, nearly half (153) are vacant...

 

[Korporaal]

CougarDaddy

The problem is not strictly a money issue as with most militaries these days, but one of institunalized reverse racism.
The laws (as it stands now in SA if you follow events there at all) is that any position has to be offered to a black person first, therefore you will find that promotions do not go to the most qualified with the necessary skills but to the person who is "previously disadvanted" ie black  and usually trained in the old USSR and Moscow.
You will find an inordinate amount of Senior Officers in all services who do not have the qualifications for the rank they hold whereas  those that served in the "old SADF" who had the professional knowledge and "know how" have been sidelined due to the fact they are white.
These laws, patently racist, has proved to be the ANC governments folly, as the Australian Air Force has being stripping the worlds second oldest air force (SAAF) of all its talented pilots ( fighter and all others) ground support and technical staff with the promise of promotions, better salaries and working conditions and they have been leaving in droves.
In a report that I read recently it was stated that over 150 Tech`s left the SAAF for the Australian Air Force IN 6 MONTHS.Considering how many years it takes to educate and train these Tech`s this is devastating to any air forces capability, factor in less than 2 hours flying time a month for pilots due to lack of funds, and this just adds to the problems.
It is this exodus of qualified staff that has brought the SAAF to its knees

Some recent examples of what else has being happening in the "new" SANDF. (South African National Defence Force) not the old SADF (South African Defence Force).

Two senior Army officers were caught cheating during there staff officers exam and were thrown off course, they visited lawyers, and the ANC government gave them there certificates nonetheless and promoted them in rank.

A Captian in the SA Navy was caught embezzling funds, not once, but twice, and was not removed from her position at any time. 

Another officer was promoted to Rear Admiral rank WITHOUT EVER HAVING SERVED ON A SHIP.

All these offficers were in the previous "guerrilla armies".

The SANDF is a microcosim of the rest of SA.

 

[blacktriangle]

Who wants to join the south african air force when you can become a cop there and it's like a war zone 24/7!

P.S at least there navy is like ours! http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=139&art_id=vn20080828055516907C671231

 

[Korporaal]

Its not "like a war zone" ..it is a war zone.
More people are murdered each month in SA (approx.1750 per month) than were killed in Israel`s excursion into Lebanon recently, and this is month after month after month.
The poor cops lose about 1500 officers a year to murder and shootings, the SANDF is swamped with HIV Pos .soldiers, people with rudimentary education being fast-tracked to senior rank, not enough qualified tech staff to keep equipment in battle condition and the gong show goes on.

Another 3 rd world country in the making.