Secretary for Defence Dr Sam Gulube
Defence Force Service Commission Chairperson Professor Edna van Harte
Deputy Chair of the DFSC Major General (Retired) Bantu Holomisa
DFSC Commissioners present
Military Ombudsman Lieutenant General (Retired) T. T. Matanzima
Chiefs of Services and Divisions or their Representatives
CEO of the Castle Control Board Mr Calvyn Gilfellan

Ladies and gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to officiate at this opening of the DFSC satellite office in Cape Town. This will be an extension of the reach and services that the DFSC is meant to provide to the serving members of the SANDF and will be able to operate  from here outside its headquarters in Pretoria.

The DFSC finds its origins in the new administration which came into office in 2009, starting as an interim DFSC headed by Judge Boshielo and several Commissioners. Since it was an interim DFSC, to make it permanent there were amendments to legislation to ensure it has a full mandate.

This saw its mandate realized in terms of Section 62B of the Defence Amendment Act 22 of 2010. This mandate was to make recommendations regarding the improvements of salaries and service benefits of members on an annual basis, policies in respect of service conditions, and also the promotion of measures and setting standards for effective implementation of policies.

The background sketched above is necessary to understand as it guides us as to where we have come from with the DFSC. In the period of its existence the DFSC had undertaken a number of projects within its mandate. These have ranged from, to mention but a few and are not limited to the following:

• Delinking salary from rank for members of the SANDF. In this regard, following research and extensive benchmarking, the DFSC came to the realization that delinking rank from salary is a complex matter and may be too costly for the SANDF. Other alternatives are being explored in light of the socio-economic challenges in the country.
• Inputs into the Defence Act amendments. I must indicate it has now been tabled before parliament for consideration;
• Inputs into the 2015 Defence Review - phase one thereof, "Arresting the Decline", is already out of the starting blocks for implementation.
• Exercise oversight over the implementation of the recommendations of the interim DFSC and now the DFSC. This is the task which I will continue to hold the DFSC responsible for, which it committed itself to in parliament during October 2015.
• The Policy on the Awarding of Death Benefits to Beneficiaries of Members/Employees who pass away while deployed in internal or external operations for which no international compensation is paid". I have now approved this for implementation and it was published in Government Gazette No. 37195 on the 22nd August 2014.
• The Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) adjustments for members of the SANDF for 2014/2015. These independent recommendations in COLA are submitted annually.
• The gazetting of the DFSC Regulations on 19 December 2014 in Government Gazette No. 38359

The aforementioned are but a few of the myriad of projects and activities that the DFSC has embarked on, some complete, others still work in progress. The DFSC continues to undertake visits to the various units of the SANDF and these have yielded fruit in that there's now a much better understanding and exposure to the conditions of service of members of the SANDF. At the same time, some of the areas identified for improvement have coincided with the observations that the SANDF has itself made, and commitment to address these.

Having said all this about the achievements and to a lesser degree the challenges of the DFSC, why are we gathered here today? We are here because today marks the realisation of an idea which was conceived in 2013, which was to establish the DFSC office in Cape Town and whose role and function would be to cover the southern provinces of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and the Northern Cape.

This idea was part and parcel of fulfillment of the footprint of the DFSC, albeit in a limited manner. It must be recalled as I said at the beginning that the DFSC is still a relatively young entity and will take some time to mature to full capacity and with the resource capacity at its disposal. I should indicate however that it remains a concern to me that there has been under expenditure of the budget, a matter I wish to direct the DFSC leadership to address and unblock whatever challenges there may be.

This aside, we need to express our appreciation that the realisaation of this satellite office could not have been possible without the support of the SANDF. In this regard, I wish to single out the Chief SA Navy, Vice Admiral HLONGWANE and his predecessor, Vice Admiral Mudimu. The former Chief Navy had granted permission for the renovation of building 99 as an office of the DFSC, and the current Chief Navy saw through the plans and implemented.

The other very important entity to mention is the SANDF Works Formation, under the leadership of Major General Ledwaba. His Regional Works Formation Unit (Western Cape) is the one that was assigned to proceed with the renovations. The SANDF Works Formation continues to expand its footprint and it is to their tribute that this work has been done and the project is now completed.

The Works Formation must continue to be a formidable institution within the DoD to enable us to attend to our own infrastructure, maintenance and repair, thus saving us hundreds of millions transferred to the Public Works Department annually. The more we embark on projects of this nature the more we will showcase our capabilities and grow the Works Formation.

This satellite project office we are unveiling has two pillars to it, namely the DFSC administration office, and the memorial wall which is a site of heritage depicting and wishing to create greater appreciation of the SANDF and promote patriotism. It should also serve to expose and promote the various skills and competencies within the Defence Force.

As I conclude, I wish to state that the milestone achieved today must serve as an inspiration to the DFSC - that despite the teething problems and challenges, hurdles can be overcome with the dedication and resilience of the DFSC leadership, Commissioners and Staff.

For this to be even more successful, the SANDF for its part needs to foster an even closer and supportive role with the DFSC. The two entities are well within the defence establishment, each with their clearly defined roles and responsibilities. There can thus be no competition.

I thank you...