Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
29^th January 2024 | 11:00 CAT
2 min read

Soldiers at Air Force HQ work in unbearable conditions due to issues with air conditioning, water supply, no ventilation, and frequently overheating servers.

Due to unsafe working conditions at Pretoria HQ, SANDU issued an ultimatum to the Air Force last week.

SANDU has requested an outline from the Chief of the Air Force outlining how the Air Force will comply with occupational safety regulations. If Lieutenant General Wiseman Mbambo fails to comply with this request, the union will seek intervention from the Department of Labour.

Sources indicate that the system components are outdated beyond repair and may cost up to R5 billion to replace.

Helmoed-Römer Heitman, an independent security and defence analyst believes the R5 billion estimation cost is an exaggeration.

“The Air Force is a victim in this one, caught between an antique air-con system that is dying and a public works department that is doing nothing about it,” said Heitman.

The Air Force Headquarters commissioned 30 years ago, can accommodate 1,200 employees and has five floors, two above ground and three below ground.

Air Force reported one of six roof temperature control systems working. Two of the three systems regulating underground floor temperature are at 50% capacity, and one is unserviceable due to end-of-life.

“The building is challenging to air-condition due to its semi-bunker style, which has little to no external airflow or windows. Additionally, it is an old and vast structure that makes climate control difficult to maintain,” said Heitman.

According to SANDU’s letter, the air conditioning systems have been problematic for years. However, replacing them is still not a priority.

“Everyone is fully aware of the problem; at one time, they were sending staff members to work from alternate offices or from home. So this is an urgent matter, where the Minister at the Cabinet level needs to lean on public works or the army has to look at moving to another building altogether. People certainly cannot work at those hot temperatures, especially if their computers keep failing, Heitman added.

Heitman reiterated the government’s reluctance to spend on defence.

“When you need to build or rebuild a defence after neglecting it for a few decades as we have, that takes anywhere between 10 – 20 years or more to undo the damage,” Heitman said.

Brigadier General Andries Mahapa, the spokesperson for the defence force, has announced that the Air Force has taken steps to address the ventilation issue by installing mobile air conditioning units. However, insiders have revealed that this solution is ineffective as it only recirculates stale air, which can lead to the inhalation of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the building had to be temporarily closed due to the rapid circulation of viruses and germs, which were exacerbated by the poor ventilation system.

The Defence Force Works Department has expressed its intention to install improved system components but does not provide a timeline for the completion of this process.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Helmoed-Römer Heitman, an independent security and defence analyst, here.