The South African Military Ombudsman, Lt Gen (Ret) Temba Matanzima, says that his office will remain open to military personnel who feel aggrieved by their working circumstances in the SANDF.

His office is entrusted with the responsibility of investigating complaints brought by members of the SANDF who are not satisfied with their conditions of service. The office also investigates complaints brought by members of the public against SANDF personnel while on duty. The Office of the Military Ombud was established in 2012 to investigate and ensure that complaints against the SANDF are resolved in a fair, economical and expeditious manner.

Matanzima and members of his staff recently visited the Makhado Air Force Base and 7 SAI Phalaborwa, where representatives of the office interacted with the military personnel. He said during the visit that questions had always been raised by members of the SANDF about the independence of his office. “We would like to assure the members that we are not politically influenced and we will remain independent from the SANDF. We deal with cases brought by members or against members of the force without fear or favour,” said Matanzima.

He also mentioned that questions about the independence of his office would fade as time went on. “I think our work speaks volumes. We have assisted a number of soldiers who approached the office for assistance. Our recommendations are being implemented and that should give confidence to those who are hesitant to approach our office for help to resolve their problems,” said Matanzima

He added that the outreach programmes were important for the members of the defence force and public, so that they could understand the mandate and existence of the office. "At these outreach engagements, the office most importantly educates the military personnel on the processes that need to be followed when lodging a complaint with the office after exhausting all internal processes within the Department of Defence. It is essential for members to understand that they cannot approach the office before following internal processes within the force. Our office will remain open to assist them when they are not satisfied with the outcome of their grievances,” said Matanzima.