DA demands new defence plan

2010-03-17 20:11

Cape Town - The Democratic Alliance on Wednesday demanded that the defence ministry go back to the drawing board on its three-year strategic business plan after it was sharply criticised by Treasury.

"The fact is that the department's strategic business plan is a mess and needs some heavy-duty panel beating," said DA defence spokesperson David Maynier.

"Defence and Military Veterans Minister Lindiwe Sisulu must intervene and withdraw the woefully inadequate Department of Defence Strategic Business Plan 2010/11 to 2012/13 from Parliament."

In a presentation on the plan to Parliament's portfolio committee on defence, Treasury criticised the plan for lacking a credible vision of what the defence force should do as well as a clear focus on outcomes.

It also noted that the plan was based on the outdated white paper on defence on 1996.

The defence department has in recent months come under fire for receiving qualified audit statements for nine years in a row.

Sisulu has vowed that it would not happen again and dismissed reports that the department's financial affairs are in chaos.
 

- SAPA