We continue to say that the role that the Military Skills Development System, MSDS, is playing in building and strengthening the SA National Defence Force, which is currently known as the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, is one issue that we should be able to put our hands together in congratulations to the system. It is exactly doing what has been expected of it. The MSDS is improving the skills development and are rejuvenating what the Department of Defence and Military Veterans is about.
The Bill that seeks to bring together the regular and the reserve force, which the Minister is putting in front of us, is a Bill that we think is going to be helpful to the Department of Defence and Military Veterans. That is a very progressive step. Minister, you understand matters of constitutionality and legislation, and that's why I like you sometimes. Through that legislation you are providing for empowerment, because you are saying that we must bring the reserve force and regular force together so that we can build a stable force. That is a development that we welcome as it will take us a little bit more forward. It will also give more confidence to the MSDS in that when their term comes to an end, they will have a role to play within the SANDF.
Furthermore, one of the most important things that you have done during the past year, Minister, is assist us in taking the soldiers back to the borders. We welcome that effort. That is one effort that has really benefited us. [Applause.] You have accomplished what we, as Members of Parliament in the Third Parliament, had all been grumbling about. You have been able to understand that the role of the SANDF is to defend the sovereignty of South Africa. That is a very important and crucial development for us.
What we have seen on the borders and what we have reflected upon - one of our members will be able to give more substance to that - is an effort that we know has been made, in that I have gone to the appropriation to motivate for more. This is because one of the citizens of South Africa said to us - something which you have been complaining about, David - that the 250 times that have been given to the Air Force is not enough. Something has to be done in terms of that time. That is why the Ministry and all of us are saying that, because we have missed that opportunity of being able to get the budget for the border development, we should be able to try and motivate for that. It is going to be important.
What we have seen on the borders, something which our members are going to explain, is really telling us a very sad story about the decisions that we have made in the past. If somebody can steal a 4x4 in Cape Town in the morning and in the afternoon that particular 4x4 is in Mozambique - as it is, with its number plates - that reflects very badly on us as citizens or the type of criminals who commit such crimes. It clearly shows that there is a syndicate that is running this racket.
Therefore your decision, Madam Minister, of sending soldiers back to the borders, I must say, is very welcome. It is an effort that will enable us to call upon every member who is here to debate today to understand and be able to motivate for the budget that we are talking about.
Minister, you have also spoken about the military discipline, which is another piece of legislation that you are putting in front of us. That is a constitutional obligation. We have to be able to assist ourselves. As we were engaging and interacting with the SANDF, I urged members that we should look at discipline. Among the problems that confronted us during the strike, or whatever happened at the Union Buildings, were accusations that the generals had been misbehaving and that was why there was that type of conduct. But we got a different impression from our border engagement, where we had a military high command led by Gen Ngwenya of the Defence Force.
Gen Ngwenya himself was there. He led the high command. He gave us an opportunity to engage and observe the discipline of the generals themselves. They were highly disciplined. We can't say it in any other way. They set a very good example to us in the way that they organised and prepared everything. Chief of the Defence Force, we are very thankful for how you organised that. We say you should keep it up.
But that does not mean that we should not improve. As the Minister also says, the way in which we look at the institution of the SANDF and its uniqueness and the fact that the Constitution emphasises the question of discipline, means that we should re-emphasise and strengthen discipline. This will ensure that those who are coming into the SANDF, as young as they are, understand that constitutional obligation. They must also understand the fact that we really want the SANDF to remain a very disciplined force in our times.
The service commission that we are putting in place and the legislation that is going to be passed to make it a permanent development within the SANDF ... [Time expired.] [Applause.]