The Department of Defence is questioning claims by a trade union that the Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Admiral Johannes Refiloe Mudimu has made disparaging remarks regarding Presient Jacob Zuma.
The claims were made in the Cape Argus last night and were based on statements by South African Security Forces Union (SASFU) president Bhekinkosi Mvovo, a lieutenant commander in the Navy.
Mvovo on Sunday called for Mudimu`s resignation, saying the admiral had told senior naval staff he would not support a president he felt was “uneducated”.
“Members of the SA Navy (sic) have lost confidence in the top leadership of the service,” the Cape Times quoted Mvovo saying, adding he was rging Zuma to take “decisive action” on the issue.
Mvovo further claimed Mudimu had “lost vision and direction for the SA Navy”. He added: “The navy is in disarray. We have the submarines but no crew to run or service them.” He also said engineers and staff were leaving the navy in droves for the private sector.
The union leader also alleged that Mudimu had used a Navy vehicle and driver to attend recent political rallies of the Congress of the People (COPE), a break-away faction of the ruling African National Congress headed by former defence minister Mosiuoa Lekota.
Lekota had resigned as minister of defence in September following the ANC`s recall of then-president Thabo Mbeki. COPE is now the third largest party in Parliament.
“(The Department of Defence) has requested that I do not deal with this matter personally,” Mudimu yesterday told the
Mvovo said the union had requested a meeting with Sisulu to discuss these and other issues.
According to him, the entire South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was in a “shocking state”. He said racism and discrimination were rife in the South African Air Force, alleging that white managers (sic) in the air force discriminated against black pilots.
Asked whether he had evidence of such racism, he said “it was documented”.
Mvovo said transformation was needed and called for Sisulu’s “urgent” intervention.
Defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman, who inter alia writes for international military journal Jane’s Defence Weekly, says he is “absolutely convinced” Mvovo is “talking nonsense”.
Heitman says Mudimu was an independent thinker who acted in the best interests of his Service and would not bad-mouth the national leadership.
The analyst said it was also a well-known fact that the SAAF had severe problems attracting suitable candidates for pilot training.
Relations between SASFU as well as the rival SA National Defence Union (SANDU) and the SANDF have been strained for several years. The Portfolio Committee on Defence in the National Assembly in a highly unusual move last year also rebuked military trade unionists for ill-discipline and for disrespecting Members of Parliament and government.
The defence department initially opposed military trade unions but lost a
Mvovo has also had his share of controversy. He was last year convicted by a Military Court of absence without leave from a parade in 2007 – he was in Parliament on union business instead – and sentenced to a reprimand and the forfeiture of three day`s salary.
Some suggest the allegations may be related to that disciplinary action. He was a lieutenant at the time but has since been promoted.
