Thank you very much, Chairperson ... particularly at that poignant point when we were remarking about how we lost our men in struggle to make sure that they can sit there today, the selfsame song that Solomon Mahlangu would have sung as he ascended the gallows in Pretoria. To paraphrase it he would have said: "I die that my sacrifice and my blood should feed the tree of freedom."
My staff and I are privileged that we live to witness, when historical events conspire to remind us of the enormous responsibility that history has imposed on us, the current generation. This is our "burden of the present". But we will make sure that we rise to that responsibility. The tree of freedom did not die when Solomon Mahlangu died; it has indeed blossomed and now we have a Defence Force that is united as one in its goal. On 27 April 2012, the SA National Defence Force came of age and we turned 18.
This Budget Vote is dedicated to all those who sacrificed their lives to bring about the democratic South Africa that we all live in and enjoy. This is a dedication to our military veterans and, in particular, former President Nelson Mandela, the first commander-in-chief of uMkhonto weSizwe and the first commander-in-chief of the SA National Defence Force of the democratic dispensation that we have; to the founding fathers of uMkhonto weSizwe, such as Chief Albert Luthuli and O R Tambo; to the Rivonia trialists and, in particular, in this case, the surviving trialists Mr Andrew Mlangeni and Mr Ahmed Kathrada; to the uMkhonto weSizwe commanders of the Luthuli Detachment, who fought two wars with the Rhodesian forces; to Joe Modise, the first Minister of the SA National Defence Force; to Comrade Chris Hani, our Moses, who led us home, but did not live to see the promised land; and to all our military veterans here present.
The vision of the Defence Force of our country has been inspired by such luminaries, and thus we celebrate their unwavering vision of the creation of that which we are today: ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things, creating an extraordinary country. South Africa owes a debt to her veterans that can never be repaid. Winston Churchill's words about the Battle of Britain come to mind at this point, and I quote: "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."
During my address to this House last year, I indicated that the whole of this year would be dedicated to our military veterans. We have and continue to live every day of the year in their honour and have sought to reflect our gratitude in what we do. May they know that in our hands the democracy that we all fought for is safe; our soldiers are increasingly becoming disciplined and well taken care of. In our hands their dreams of a brighter future will be realised for generations to come.
We come here to report to the people of South Africa on the progress we have made on their behalf. It was in the detailing of this progress report that I myself was amazed by how much ground we have covered.
The first commitment I made as the Defence Minister upon assumption of the responsibility was the creation of a new dispensation that would ensure a better life for our soldiers. Today, I report that that dispensation is in place. Today I will also report that the Defence Force is once again a disciplined force. Today there is no stain on the integrity of the Defence Force, and that is how it should be, because they are the absolute and final guarantors of our democracy.
As a Defence Force we run an organisation of people whose very uniform is an indicator of that which is the best in our society. I am very proud of my soldiers. When they erred, I did not hesitate to put my foot down. When they do good, I am proud that South Africa has the kind of people that we have in them. [Applause.]
At this point, I would like to pay tribute to those who work tirelessly to help me shape the image and professionalism of the Defence Force and make it the pride of our country. I welcome to Parliament, for the first time as Chief of the Defence Force, Gen Solly Shoke, appointed Chief of the SA National Defence Force by the commander-in-chief last year in May. [Applause.] I welcome also Lieutenant-General V R Masondo, Chief of the SA Army. [Applause.] I welcome also Lieutenant-General T M Nkabinde, Chief of Human Resources, who is new to our ranks. [Applause.] I welcome to also Lieutenant-General J T Nkonyane, Chief of logistics, who is also new to our ranks. [Applause.] Together with the rest of the military command they are doing a fantastic job! [Applause.]
I also welcome into our fold, Dr Sam Gulube, the new Secretary of Defence, who was appointed in December last year. Already, sterling work has been done and our audit projections, in particular, are looking good. [Applause.] The people I have just introduced now are an addition to the senior team with whom we have been working tirelessly. It gives me great honour to say: We serve beyond the call of duty.
We can also report that we now have an institution in the Defence Force called the Military Ombud, led by retired Lieutenant-General T T Matanzima, a long-serving career soldier who was sworn in for the first time as the Military Ombudsperson on Monday, 14 March 2012. He will now become a civilian for the next seven years. We are joined today, Chairperson, by some of our young stars who have distinguished themselves as firsts in their areas, charting a new path and bringing hope. With your permission, I will ask them to stand up as I announce them. We have Captain Nandi Zama, the first female aircraft commander on the CASA 212 to be a display pilot. [Applause.]
HON MEMBERS: Malibongwe! [Praise!]