Minister, the real issue here is not the state of the submarine service or indeed the state of the SA Navy. The real issue here is the state or the combat readiness of the SA National Defence Force, SANDF. The Minister would be aware that there is a public perception that the Defence Force is in such poor shape that it offers President Jacob Zuma only one option in the event of a state of national defence and that is surrender!
That perception persists because the former Minister refused to brief the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on the combat readiness of the SA National Defence Force. Will the Minister, therefore, authorise the military command to finally brief this Parliament on the combat readiness of the SA National Defence Force? [Interjections.]