September 2004 to the Speaker of the National Assembly informing

Members of the Assembly of the employment of the South African

National Defence Force:

This serves to inform the National Assembly that I authorised the

employment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF)

personnel to the Democratic Republic of Burundi as part of the United

Nations Operation in accordance with the United Nations Security Council

Resolution 1545 of 2004.

This employment was authorised in accordance with the provisions of

section 201(2)(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996

(Act No 108 of 1996), read with section 93 of the Defence Act, 2002 (Act

No 42 of 2002).

A total of 1099 personnel will be employed until the end of the transition

period in September 2004. The contingent will be reduced to 1078

personnel after September 2004 and 1007 personnel after December 2004

until the end of March 2005. The SANDF personnel are already in Burundi

and will only changeover to the United Nations mandate.

The cost of the deployment will be funded from the Department of

Defence’s current allocation for peace Support Operations and will be

reimbursed by the United Nations.

I will communicate this report to the Members of the National Council of

Provinces and the Chairperson of the Joint Standing Committee on

Defence, and wish to request that you bring the contents hereof to the notice

of the National Assembly.

Regards

SIGNED