Defence Review Committee meets in Port Elizabeth on Monday

Warning:

This article may contain graphic and/or adult content unsuitable for minors and sensitive readers.

Read the article

The Eastern Cape public will be able to share their views on what they believe the future South African Defence Force should look like.

That's when the Defence Department's Defence Review Committee holds its public participation programme in Port Elizabeth on Monday.

Local stakeholders will be able to interact with the Review Committee on the White Paper which, among other things, identifies defence objectives, specifes defence functions, defence capabilities and all other matters governing the operations of the defence force.

Dr Gavin Bradshaw, of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, says its important for members of the public to participate in the Defence Review Process.

"We have a tendency in South Africa to discuss the important public issues, in a sense, in retrospect when it's often too late to do anything about it. One thinks of, for instance, the previous defence procurement etc. One actually needs to have a vigorous debate going in rather than all kinds of regrets and altercations afterwards," he said.

Dr Bradshaw said that is why it is important to encourage the process and the public to take part in that process.

Meanwhile, Bradshaw's colleague, professor Richard Haines says the Review process offers the Eastern Cape an opportunity to lobby harder for a share of the Defence budget.

He says at the moment the province's footprint in terms of bases, including naval bases, is modest as well as the Eastern Cape's involvement in the defence production and procurement chains can be expanded significantly.

"I think we can expand our involvement in the industrial economic opportunities offered by the Defence Review in terms of expanding for example our activities in terms of sub-systems procurement and manufacturing for new envisaged range of naval vessel," he said.

Professor Haines says there are even opportunities in aerospace manufacturing.

"I think the Eastern Cape has the potential capacity and there's some new investor interest in the province. So, I think particularly using the two IDZ's (industrial development zones) and the burgeoning aerospace industry interestingly in Somerset East, these are among the various aspects we should be considering," he added.

The Defence Review Public Participation Programme takes place at the Kelway Hotel from 8am next Monday July 23.

(Image: SAS Amatola)