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The IFP has welcomed the National Defence Force Service Commission
which has been set-up to probe problems within the Defence Force but
said that it's unfortunately too late to undo the damage striking
soldiers caused to South Africa's international image.

"The appalling scenes of striking soldiers rampaging through Pretoria,
and engaged in conflict with the police, could have been avoided had
government heeded the IFP's call years ago to set-up a commission to
probe the pay grades of soldiers and their conditions of service,"
said Albert Mncwango the IFP's Spokesperson on Defence.

Mncwango said he was pleased with the ANC's u-turn on this issue. "Our
army is in-charge of defending our constitution, our borders, our
citizens and all our assets and they dare not fail in this important
task. We welcome Minister's decision to launch a service commission
because it is the state's responsibility to take care of members of
the SANDF and to make sure that their conditions of service are
broadly in line with international best practices," said Mncwango.

Mncwango added his voice to the unions controversy within the SANDF
and said that the IFP warned in the 1990s already that the defence
force should not be allowed to unionise. "We are not in a habit of
saying we told you so but the ANC's chickens are coming home to roost.
The IFP warned the ruling party at Codesa that allowing our security
forces, that are providing essential security services to South
Africans, to unionise, will have dire consequences," said Mncwango.

Mncwango repeated his call that the South African Police Service
should also be de-unionised. "It is in the best interests of the
nation that our police force is also de-unionised. We will never be
able to solve the crisis of crime if criminals are free to commit
crime while our policemen and women are toy-toying in our streets,"
added Mncwango.