SA Navy Rear Admiral Alan Green was the first witness to take the stand at the Arms Procurement Commission of Inquiry yesterday in Pretoria.
Pictures: Christine Vermooten.

The weapons bought in the controversial arms deal are needed by the defence force to comply with their constitutional mandate of protecting South Africa.

This is according to Admiral Alan Green, the first witness to appear in front of the Seriti Commission yesterday. The deal, budgeted at R30 billion in 1999, eventually escalated to R70 billion among widespread allegations of corruption and cronyism.

“The mandate requires for the South African National Defence Force to be ready to defend South Africa at any time,” Green said.

Green, a Rear Admiral in the South African Navy, was the first of approximately 24 witnesses to testify in front of the Arms Procurement Commission.

The commission is tasked with looking at the allegations of corruption, fraud, impropriety and irregularity in the Strategic Defence Procurement Package (SDPP). It was appointed by President Jacob Zuma in 2011.

Green testified that, after 1994, “all our large ships and frigates were very old and we were left with only small combat ships. Proper weapons are intimidating and prevent war.”

It was necessary for the SANDF to be ready to defend the country.

“It is in the Constitution and we can’t ignore it,” he said.

The government thus decided to allocate a bigger part of the budget for combat capabilities.

Green also yesterday contested various allegations made in the media the past few years that equipment purchased during the SDPP is under-used or not being used at all.

“Utilisation of equipment includes the training of forces and testing of the equipment within a safe environment and is not li-mited to hours spent defending the country,” Green pointed out.

He added there is a certain maintenance cycle that has to be endured to ensure equipment stays effective.

“If one takes into account hours spent training forces to properly handle equipment and the time taken by the maintenance cycle, one will understand that equipment is utilised at all times.”

With acknowledgement to Elaine Swanepoel and The Citizen.