MINISTRY OF DEFENCE AND MILITARY VETERANS
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Private Bag X427, Pretoria, 0001. Tel: (012) 355 6103, Fax: (012) 347 0118
P O Box 47, Cape Town, 8000. Tel: (021) 787 6075, Fax: (021) 465 5870
FINAL SPEECH FOR THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEFENCE AND
MILITARY VETERANS, MR ERK MAPHATSOE, ON THE OCCASION
OF THE VISIT BY THE VICE MINISTER OF DEFENCE OF THE
REPUBLIC OF JAPAN, HIS EXCELLENCY MR MINORU KIHARA 04
AUGUST 2014, PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA.
Your Excellency, Vice Minister, Mr Minoru Kihara and
his Delegation
Secretary for Defence, Dr Sam Gulube
Your Excellency, Ambassador, Mr Yukata Yoshizawa
Chairperson of ARMSCOR, Vice Admiral (retired)
Mudimu
Generals, Admirals, Senior Officers
Ladies and Gentleman
Your Excellency Vice Minister Kihara, it is an honour for
me to welcome you to South Africa on this important
occasion. Your visit to our country is of significance in
nature, as it is the first of such a visit between our two
countries to discuss matters of Defence in nature. I am
indeed honoured to welcome you and your delegation
on behalf of our Government and the defence
community in particular.
The relationships between our two countries have
developed over a period of time since our democratic
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dispensation in 1994. Since the normalisation of our
relationship in 1992, we have viewed Japan as an
important economic partner in our region and a global
player in the world economy. We view Japan as a
strategic partner in the South East Asia region and this
led to our two countries developing our bilateral relations
into a Strategic Cooperation Partnership in 2010.
This Partnership Forum serves as framework to
strengthen bilateral and multi-lateral relationships
between the two countries. President Jacob Zuma paid
a working visit to Japan in 2013 in furtherance of our
relationship with the people and Government of Japan.
The 13th Partnership Forum between South Africa and
Japan is scheduled to take place later this year in
Tokyo.
Your Excellency, all these developments indicates the
strong ties we have with your country. Japan is the third
largest trading partner with South Africa and a major
provider of development finance and Overseas
Development Aid to South Africa. There are more than
100 Japanese companies with investments in South
Africa of which South Africans have benefited from,
through skills development and training as well as the
transfer of technology and skills.
As a leading nation in the science and technology,
research and development as well as innovation, we
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believe that Japan has a lot to offer South Africa in the
area of human capacity to enhance its industrial base.
Your visit therefore, must be seen in the development of
our relationship beyond the economic sphere. It also
includes the defence industry where we are pioneers in
a range of defence technology. The research and
development in the economic sphere taken together with
defence technology development can enhance the
development of both our countries.
Your country’s recent decision regarding the
reinterpretation of Article 9 of the country’s WarRenouncing Constitution, potentially opens the way for a
range of bilateral engagements in defence co-operation.
Attempted defence relations between our two countries
have been very few. One of the first engagements was
held in 1998 during the RSA-Japan Partnership Forum
in Tokyo.
In that regard there has been limited consultation and
exchange between the armed forces of Japan and
South Africa. We are therefore of the view that your
recent landmark decision regarding Article 9 of your
Constitution couples with this very important visit to our
country does indeed open a way for both countries to
start discussions on possible defence co-operation
between our Armed Forces. All these must be done one
step at a time so as to enable us to understand each
other’s needs.
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It is worth to note that, guided by our aspiration for
peace and development in the region and the continent,
South Africa pursues a defence stature that is defensive
in nature maintaining a force that can contribute to
growth of the economic development of our country.
Furthermore, a defence force that contributes to the
regional and continental security, peace and security for
development is what guides our approach to our
defence stance. In this regard South African government
has published a new Defence Review 2014 which will
take the South African National Defence Force to
greater heights over the next 20 years. The goals set for
the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in
the Defence Review 2014 are to:
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Defend and Protect South Africa;
Safeguard South Africa;
Promote peace and security and
Developmental and other ordered tasks.
Your Excellency, your visit which seeks to explore
areas of military and defence cooperation of the two
Armed Forces, the South African Arms production and
procurement Industry as well as the exchange of
information on defence related matters, is a step in the
right direction. Its opens ways for us to engage on
matters of defence and military interest for both our
defence forces, in particular the technology and
research and development sector.
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Your Excellency, may I further take this opportunity to
indicate to you how grateful we are for the contribution
your Government has made to the Peace Mission
Training Centre (PMTC). The Peace Mission Training
Centre is a visible symbol of the government of Japan’s
efforts to strengthen mechanisms that enhance and
builds international peace and security in Africa. This
centre, your Excellency, enabled and equipped our
Soldiers with skills on issues pertaining to the
Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR)
process, which Africa desperately needs at this point in
time. The Peace Mission Training Centre continues to
provide the empowerment of Military Observers, Civil
Military Coordination and broadly enriching the skills and
reservoir of the SANDF in peacekeeping in the spectrum
of Peace Support Operations.
Your Excellency South Africa has a broad Defence
Industry that can be beneficiary to Japan. Our
aerospace technology has been battle hardened
recently in the Democratic Republic of Congo through
the excellent performance of the Rooivalk. South Africa
continues to contribute in the Artillery munitions and
weapons development, African environment proven
Vehicle development, and our communication and
information technology. We can further explore areas of
mutual interest in weapon testing and ammunition
production, to cover the entire field of the defence
industry. You will receive detailed presentations during
your visits to the South African Defence Industry.
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Your Excellency, before I conclude allow me to invite
you and your delegation to the Africa Aerospace
Defence Exhibition (AAD 2014) which will be held in
September of this year. This is the largest defence
exhibition on the African continent. It is further an
opportunity to show case your technology to the other
participants in the exhibition. Your schedule allowing, I
would be pleased to host you and your delegation again
during this period.
I would like once more to take this opportunity to assure
you of South Africa’s commitment to the successful
execution of this bilateral so that its objective is realised.
I do hope your stay in our country will be memorable.
I thank you
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