My rank was that of a major and I did a commander's course. What was yours? [Laughter.]
Fifteen years into democracy conditions have changed. And, in addition to defence, we are now also focusing on conflict prevention, peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction commitments. But there are a few shortcomings that I want to refer to, and the Minister has dealt with most of them.
Firstly, we are concerned that not enough money has been allocated for the replacement of outdated military equipment.
Secondly, skills shortages in specific areas are a major threat to South Africa's economic growth. Our Defence Force has been hard hit by the brain drain. In addition, we are losing large numbers of skilled personnel to other defence forces, notably to the UK and Australia.
The drain of skilled resources also has financial implications because large amounts are spent to train people and they then leave. We therefore urge the Minister, who has referred to this, to really look at good strategies to retain our skilled personnel.
Thirdly, the inclusion of military veterans in the Defence department is a contentious issue. It is the definition of a military veteran that concerns us. We believe that the current definition is too narrow and exclusive.
The Act recognises sacrifices by military veterans in the service of our country and also the role they played in the democratisation process. However, it excludes some categories, for example members who once formed part of self-protection units, self-defence units and Azanla, the Azanian National Liberation Army .
The IFP believes that the definition of a military veteran should be reviewed to be inclusive in order to also contribute towards peace and nation-building.