A major humanitarian crisis, involving the interruption of school children’s education and financial losses running into millions of rand, is undermining the morale at AFB Makhado.

Residents of the Braambos residential area at AFB Makhado are nearing the end of their patience with the apparent lack of urgency displayed by officialdom to end the crisis which causes humiliation, damage and serious concern among the 1 100 members of the 235 households at the base. The crisis is exacerbated by the poor performance of the National Department of Public Works in restoring the main electricity supply to the base, which was terminated when a high voltage cable exploded on 10 October last year.

After having exhausted all official channels, in vain, residents at a community meeting last month established an individual community forum to seek help and assistance against the non-compliance of the Department of Public Works in repairing the damage. Legal action is now being contemplated against the department.

Their urgent appeals have reached the South African Parliament, in the meantime. In a letter early this month by the forum’s legal representative to the Portfolio Committee on Public Works, it is emphasised that many households have suffered financial losses, food has perished in freezers that could not work and children’s education was stopped at the local pre-primary and primary schools. “It became a humiliation to some as households were running out of funds and had to be assisted by others with basic foodstuffs. In attempts to provide temporary relief, families procured generators, gas systems and fuel to sustain family life. Large supplies of damaged frozen rations had to be discarded and families have to travel the 40km to Makhado (Louis Trichardt) to purchase perishable food. There is no public transport or local grocer available."

After more than eight months, the 11 mobile diesel generators of the base which supply temporary electricity to a limited extent are failing more often and spares are not available. Millions of rands are spent on diesel to run these generators. The letter states that, to date, the running cost of the generators has been more than R30 million, whereas the estimated cost to have the damaged supply repaired is less than R15 million. Frequent breakdowns and shortages of diesel are adding to the emotional trauma of the residents, who find it difficult to preserve and prepare food and must witness the interruption of their children’s education. In the letter, this situation is highlighted as an unacceptable disregard for the children's constitutional right to basic education. The situation is virtually unbearable for the women and children of the serving members.

Families and members have informally communicated their intention to ask for transfers to other SAAF bases and units. It is not known how long the situation is going to last. “The question is how long this community can sustain the humiliation and losses serving in the Fighter Base of South Africa. To have the community of this base endure a primitive lifestyle and maintain an operational fighter capability is unfair and unacceptable. The dignity of soldiers and their families and the education of the youth cannot be allowed to be tainted by the poor performance and support by the Department of Public Works. The unprofessional conduct and failure to perform is unacceptable,” the letter states.

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15 February 2013 - Parliamentary Committee only now learns of crisis at AFB Makhado

18 March 2013 - Crisis upon crisis at AFB Makhado