Holomisa right man for defence minister job

The new Cabinet of the government of national unity (GNU) not only reflects a true rainbow nation that the late Desmond Tutu professed, but it also brings the hope we lost since 2007.

We thought all was lost. But thanks to the resilience of voters who, having endured three decades of misgovernance by people who proclaimed to be “ready to govern” when, in fact, they never even chaired a village imbizo.

There are men and women among the new faces of the GNU who epitomise hope and who by their mere presence in that Cabinet, make the future look brighter.

It will be inaccurate to claim that all the 30 years of our democracy were a waste because during the first half, the country was set on a path to economic success.

But the second half became a roller-coaster ride to hell. The looting of public resources became a norm.

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But few issues are concerning regarding the new Cabinet. Chief among those is President Cyril Ramaphosa’s appointment of Angie Motshekga as minister of defence over a military man General Bantu Holomisa, who is a deputy minister to Motshekga. It does not make sense.

Not that Motshekga was a successful minister of basic education. Mud schools and pit toilets still exist 30 years on, despite her prolonged stay in the department, while matric pass rates showed an improvement only last year.

But Holomisa needs no introduction to the military. In fact, the military would prefer a military man or women to lead them. L

ike the police would like an experienced police officer to be their national commissioner, not a civilian or politician.

Holomisa is a former military leader and head of state in the former Transkei. He is not only a former army trainer, but a military tactician and a political strategist who facilitated progress during the talks at Codesa, working closely with Nelson Mandela.

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He also made valuable inputs at ANC’s former Shell House to direct the debates at ANC strategising sessions as a then NEC member.

Former minister of defence Lindiwe Sisulu relied a lot on Holomisa, at times, to deal with problems in the military and he always found lasting solutions.

Even at the GNU, he was the one who suggested that a committee must be appointed to consider the manifestos of all political parties so that their inputs are also included in the formulation of the GNU policies.

This is an idea that Ramaphosa also alluded to in his address when he announced the finalised deal.

A colleague counselled me on my concern when he suggested that Holomisa might be a de facto minister of defence, although he is officially deputising.

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Then it dawned on me that Motshekga might be there merely because the ANC would not like a key security cluster department to be headed by an opposition leader.

But again, that doesn’t make sense as the job has to be done effectively by someone with the relevant expertise. Also, if the ANC could give full departments to the DA and Freedom Front Plus, why not to the United Democratic Movement?

However, I don’t doubt that even as deputy, Holomisa will come up with solutions to many problems that beset the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) in particular, and the defence department in general.

He will help to bring sanity to the SANDF’s crisis in DRC, where our soldiers are sent without being properly armed. If you go to a war zone, even for a peacekeeping mission, you must prepare for any eventuality.

It is someone like Holomisa who can address the department’s ongoing budget crisis and to scrutinise the current goings-on at Denel and Armscor, including why Denel is being deprived of funds and why the two are being privatised.

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