Thank you, Chairperson. As the hon member often likes to advise me: Be patient; I will get round to it. In the end, the ANC NEC's subcommittee pronounced ominously that, "We take a dim view of ANC deployees who make premature public announcements on the Defence Force Commission's interim report before all due processes are concluded. We caution that such acts border on ill discipline."
The implication for ruling party members on the portfolio committee was clear: back down or you may be disciplined. With that the portfolio committee, with the exception of me, then furiously waved their white handkerchiefs and effectively surrendered to the Minister. [Interjections.]
In the end, democratic centralism of the ruling party made sure that Parliament was subordinate to the party, and in so doing undermined our constitutional democracy.
Ruling party members of the portfolio committee had effectively been brought back into line by what amounted to a political sjambokking by the Minister. So it was not long before the portfolio committee snapped to legislative attention and began deliberations on the Defence Amendment Bill. But after their political sjambokking, ruling party members of the portfolio committee appeared to get such a big "skrik" that they would not contemplate suggestions for any amendments to the Defence Amendment Bill. In the end, the Defence Amendment Bill was rammed through the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans.
We support the establishment of the Defence Force Service Commission, because it will go some way towards improving conditions in the Defence Force. But we have reservations.
The fact is that in terms of this legislation the Minister has wide powers to appoint members of the commission, to intervene in the work of the commission and to terminate the employment of members of the commission. The commission will also be accountable to the Minister and not to the Minister and Parliament. Annual reports should not ominously contain: "Confidential information that may be detrimental to national security."
Taken together, this means that there is a danger that the commission will end up beyond the scrutiny of Parliament. Moreover, the fact is that the portfolio committee was advised that the section 55 amendment may possibly be unconstitutional.
Let me conclude with a cautionary note. We must not raise expectations of the National Defence Force Service Commission to unreasonable levels. The National Defence Force Service Commission will not and cannot solve the service condition crisis in the Defence Force on its own. We have to ensure that the chain of command functions effectively and deals with service condition problems before they explode on the streets, as in the protest march in front of the Union Buildings.
But in the end, we support the establishment of the Defence Force Service Commission, because it will go some way towards improving service conditions. This is a step in the right direction, and for that reason we support the Defence Amendment Bill with reservations. I thank you. [Applause.]