SANDF sends 10,000 soldiers to help in aftermath of KZN floods

The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is sending 10,000 soldiers to KwaZulu-Natal to support the disaster relief efforts in the province.

The army deployment has been named Operation Chariot.

It will see soldiers assist with mop-up work, extraction, technical assessments, and transport of humanitarian relief equipment or goods.

In a statement, the SANDF said it will:

• Erect field accommodation;
• Provide fresh water with its water purification systems;
• Deploy electricians to restore power;
• Deploy plumbers to restore the water supply.

“The SA Army pledges include 31 x 10,000 litre water bunkers, 3 x water provisioning systems, 2 x water points with 1 litre bottled water/plastic sachets, a platoon of electricians and plumbers, 60 x 16×16 tents and bedding for the affected communities,” the statement read.

The SA air force will also provide four helicopters and a fixed-wing aircraft to help in search and rescue, as well as extraction, missions. They will also be used to transport humanitarian relief.

The South African Military Health Services will provide medical support to the areas that need it the most.

Budget cuts

Last week, The Citizen reported that the SANDF doesn’t have the capacity for a full-scale domestic rescue mission, as it’s been crippled by budgetary cuts.

Lt-Gen Siphiwe Sangweni, SANDF joint operations chief, on Wednesday told journalists that their initial deployment in KZN involved only aircraft.

Defence expert Helmoed-Römer Heitman, however, has said the SANDF does not have the rescue capacity it had before and the main shortfall was the shortage of helicopters, particularly the Oryx fleet.

He said 17 of these were reported operational in February, five of which are in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while two are in Mozambique, leaving just 10 in the country for all other purposes.

Heitman also said not all of these would be available at all times, as some would be undergoing minor maintenance at the squadrons.

Additional reporting by Sipho Maben