Cuban team to assist SANDF

This follows the signing of a technical agreement between the SANDF and the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini said in a statement.

 

The agreement falls under an existing military-to-military agreement between the two armed forces.

 

"The technical team has since arrived in South Africa and has already started working in various centres of the SANDF across the country," Dlamini said.

 

"This agreement is set to create an internal pool of technical skills in the SANDF which will enable the defence force to properly service and maintain its vehicles."

 

Since the arrival of the Cuban mechanics there had been a marked improvement in the servicing of vehicles.

 

"It is a known fact that the SANDF has had numerous problems in the maintenance of vehicles at a very high cost with little benefit," Dlamini said.

 

"Through this agreement the SANDF will be able to develop its own internal capacity and save on costs while bringing up its vehicle serviceability."

 

More importantly, the SANDF would be able to ensure the serviceability of its vehicles in operational areas where it had been facing serious problems, negatively impacting on reimbursement from the United Nations.