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The Joint Standing Committee on Defence has agreed with the Minister of Defence that there remains a need for the Defence Force Service Commission, as administrative and procedural matters are concluded relating to the operationalisation of the Military Bargaining Council. The committee yesterday received an update from the Minister on the discussions around the future of the commission, following the recognition of the South African National Defence Union (SANDU) after labour unions achieved the required threshold.
 
SANDU has been a recognised trade union since 31 August 2021 and at the end of September 2023 had 16 728 members. The committee recognises the commission’s importance, particularly because many soldiers are not members of the union and the commission’s work is broader than that of the bargaining council. Furthermore, the committee is of the view that the work of the commission and the council complement one another, however further analysis is necessary before this conclusion is entrenched.
 
The committee welcomed the information that the Military Bargaining Council will be fully operational in January 2024 as this will add to efforts to secure the welfare of defence force members. The committee called on the department to finalise boundary management issues to limit duplication.
 
The committee also welcomed the information that the Department of Defence will in December undertake a focused evaluation of the 2015 South African Defence Review, with the intention to align it with South Africa’s fiscal environment. The committee will await the tabling of the draft evaluation report to engage and offer inputs. 

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Co-Chairpersons of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Cyril Xaba and Mamagase Nchabeleng