Latest news with #SAAF
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What to know about getting help after the flood, making donations in San Angelo area
An Independence Day flood hit amid a record-breaking rainfall and left 30,000 people affected across San Angelo and Tom Green County, officials said. After over 14 inches of rain, flood victims are left without clothes, cars and even homes. Are you looking for assistance in the wake of the flood, or would you like to donate? Here's how. If you would like to make a monetary donation, the San Angelo Area Foundation has set up a disaster relief fund that can be found on the nonprofit organization's website. If you have been impacted by the flood and need assistance, the SAAF asks that you document damages by going to PaulAnn Church at 2531 Smith Blvd. has been established as the new command center and hub for relief information and supplies. The church is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and will have the Concho Valley Community Action Agency on-site doing intake for those who need a shelter voucher. "As of right now we are not in need of more volunteers," the church said on Facebook Saturday morning. "Please message us if you would like your name to be added to our volunteer list. We will contact you as needs arise." St. Margaret's Catholic Church at 2619 Era St. has its doors open to those displaced from the flood. People can donate food, water and clothes. Resources will be distributed as needed. Concho Valley Turning Point is accepting donations of water, nonperishable food and clothes at the warehouse located at 2400 S Hill Street from noon-5 p.m. Saturday. "2-1-1 has been updated with all available resources so please call them if you need additional resources," representatives of the nonprofit organization point stated. City Limits is accepting donations of bottled water, nonperishable food, hygiene items, diapers and wipes, first aid supplies, clothing and blankets at 4205 S Bryant Blvd. Did we miss something? Email the details to More: Historic rainfall leads to devastating flooding in San Angelo on Fourth of July More: Independence Day's 14-inch rainfall swamps city, county and region in record flood (This story has been updated to add a photo.) This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: San Angelo area flooding: Where to get help, or donate to victims
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
What to know about getting help after the flood, making donations in San Angelo area
An Independence Day flood hit amid a record-breaking rainfall and left 30,000 people affected across San Angelo and Tom Green County, officials said. After over 14 inches of rain, flood victims are left without clothes, cars and even homes. Are you looking for assistance in the wake of the flood, or would you like to donate? Here's how. If you would like to make a monetary donation, the San Angelo Area Foundation has set up a disaster relief fund that can be found on the nonprofit organization's website. If you have been impacted by the flood and need assistance, the SAAF asks that you document damages by going to PaulAnn Church at 2531 Smith Blvd. has been established as the new command center and hub for relief information and supplies. The church is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday and will have the Concho Valley Community Action Agency on-site doing intake for those who need a shelter voucher. "As of right now we are not in need of more volunteers," the church said on Facebook Saturday morning. "Please message us if you would like your name to be added to our volunteer list. We will contact you as needs arise." St. Margaret's Catholic Church at 2619 Era St. has its doors open to those displaced from the flood. People can donate food, water and clothes. Resources will be distributed as needed. Concho Valley Turning Point is accepting donations of water, nonperishable food and clothes at the warehouse located at 2400 S Hill Street from noon-5 p.m. Saturday. "2-1-1 has been updated with all available resources so please call them if you need additional resources," representatives of the nonprofit organization point stated. City Limits is accepting donations of bottled water, nonperishable food, hygiene items, diapers and wipes, first aid supplies, clothing and blankets at 4205 S Bryant Blvd. Did we miss something? Email the details to More: Historic rainfall leads to devastating flooding in San Angelo on Fourth of July More: Independence Day's 14-inch rainfall swamps city, county and region in record flood This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: San Angelo area flooding: Where to get help, or donate to victims
Express Tribune
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
South African Air Force chief visits Pakistan, discusses strengthening ties with PAF
Lieutenant General Wiseman Simo Mbambo, Chief of the South African Air Force, called on Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force at Air Headquarters, Islamabad. PHOTO: ISPR Listen to article South African Air Force (SAAF) Chief Lt General Wiseman Simo Mbambo paid an official visit to Pakistan, where he met with Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at Air Headquarters in Islamabad, according to the military's media wing. Upon his arrival, the visiting dignitary was welcomed with a formal Guard of Honour by a smartly turned-out contingent of the Pakistan Air Force, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement. During the meeting, the PAF chief highlighted the strong bilateral relationship between Pakistan and South Africa, emphasising the shared values and aspirations that underpin the two nations' deep-rooted friendship. He reiterated PAF's commitment to strengthening the aerial combat capabilities of the South African Air Force through tailored training and capacity-building initiatives, according to the ISPR. Lt General Mbambo lauded the operational readiness of the PAF, commending its multi-domain warfare capabilities and its success in maintaining a credible deterrence posture. He acknowledged the high standards maintained by the PAF and expressed his admiration for its technical excellence, it added. A key focus of the discussions was the revamping of the SAAF's training regime. Lt General Mbambo expressed his desire for PAF's support in developing a modern and comprehensive training framework, beginning at the academy level. He further requested the participation of SAAF officers as observers in PAF's major operational exercises to enhance learning and foster collaboration, as per the ISPR report. In addition, the SAAF chief spoke about the possibility of increasing technical collaboration between the two air forces, particularly in the area of aircraft maintenance. Recognising the cost-effective maintenance capabilities and technical excellence of PAF's engineering infrastructure, Lt General Mbambo conveyed the intent of the SAAF to undertake the inspection and maintenance of its C-130 fleet in Pakistan. The discussions highlighted a mutual desire to institutionalise and further strengthen the formal relationship between the PAF and the SAAF. This meeting is expected to pave the way for deeper cooperation between the two forces, ensuring enhanced operational capabilities and shared military expertise.
The Citizen
24-06-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
‘We're bleeding but not finished': Motshekga defends struggling air force
While admitting the South African Air Force is in decline, Motshekga assured Parliament that steps are being taken to repair aircraft and stabilise capacity. Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga says South African skies are protected despite the challenges facing the South African Air Force (SAAF). The minister was addressing the National Council of Provinces during the Peace and Security cluster question-and-answer session on Tuesday, where she was grilled about the operational readiness of the SAAF – among other defence-related issues. 'Sleep peacefully' 'You can sleep peacefully; your skies are safe, and we'll be able to do any obligations internally that we need to do for the safety of our country,' Motshekga said. This was in response to FF Plus member Tamarin Breedt's question about the extent to which the current state of affairs in the national air force is affecting South Africa's ability to meet its international and regional obligations. Grounded planes and lack of funding Motshekga had earlier admitted the SAAF is currently experiencing challenges, including grounded planes and lack of adequate funding. She said her department is engaging with Treasury and the Presidency to make sure they can salvage what the force already has. 'We have a number of planes that are off, but we also have a number of planes that have gone for servicing. So, we are struggling with the air force; we're bleeding, but we're not finished,' Motshekga said. She said the air force's ability to fly helicopters to areas affected by the recent floods was indicative of its capabilities and capacity, although not up to the desired level. ALSO READ: Why South Africa can't defend itself anymore The department is doing everything in its power to stop the decline of the SAAF from continuing, Motshekga said. 'We are in the process of procuring other capabilities, repairing capabilities, so there is progress and there is a process to make sure that we can arrest the decline…' VIP fleet spending DA member Nicholas Gotsell asked the minister why the department is prioritising the R415 million that is needed to maintain the presidential aircraft and the Falcon fleet used by VIPs, while key air defence transport remains grounded. In response, Motshekga said it's disingenuous to compare the capabilities of the SAAF to the capacity of the president's travelling means. Because it means we have to ground the president and get him [to fly] commercial,' Motshekga said. She declined to entertain Breedt's suggestion that President Cyril Ramaphosa must fly commercial 'like the rest of us do and like I believe he used to do in 2018 and 2019'. Motshekga said just as she and Breedt don't take buses to meetings, Ramaphosa will not be flying commercial. Measures for maintenance backlog With regard to measures put in place to minimise the maintenance backlog, the minister emphasised that the department has prioritised fixing and servicing the current aircraft before procuring new ones, which are going to be extremely expensive. 'We are looking at different means to get more money to ramp up the performance,' Motshekga said. NOW READ: SANDF troops return home from DRC after delay from logistical snag
The Citizen
15-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
SAAF needs R414 million to refurbish Ramaphosa's presidential jet
The interior update will not occur in this contracting period due to a lack of funds. An airplane carrying President Cyril Ramaphosa arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport, ahead of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation yesterday. Picture: AFP Parliament continues to hear troubling reports about the impact of the South African National Defence Force's (SANDF) budget constraints, with the latest report affecting President Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy, Paul Mashatile. The Joint Standing Committee on Defence received an update from Armscor on the status of the South African Air Force (SAAF) and South African Navy maintenance and acquisition contracts on Friday, and the outlook appears grim. Selekane Folo from Armscor informed the committee that there is a R7.7 billion shortfall to fund support contracts for the SAAF over a three-year period, amounting to a R2.56 billion shortfall per year. ALSO READ: Defence budget cuts 'impact Reserve Force capability' 'The lack of funding has been ongoing for a long period of time, and it has its consequences,' said Selekane. These include reduced fleet availability, with only the bare minimum of maintenance being done; essential upgrades are postponed; higher maintenance costs are incurred due to supporting obsolete subsystems; and a large recovery cost is required to catch up on maintenance. Maintenance of Ramaphosa's jet This has also affected the VVIP fleet, which has been unable to undergo maintenance due to a lack of funds. The contract for the maintenance and support of Ramaphosa's Boeing 737 Aircraft, contracted to Jet Aviation AG in Switzerland (the design authority for the aircraft's interior), costs R440 million and was placed from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026. The contract for local support for maintenance, contracted to Dentec, costs R60 million and was placed on 1 December 2024 and ends 30 June 2026. ALSO READ: Over 2 700 'old' SANDF personnel released, but new recruits will depend on funding 'What we need as a requirement to maintain the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) is about R500 million, and currently, we are sitting with a shortfall of R414.9 million,' Selekane told the committee. 'There is an upcoming four-year maintenance that happens for about three months, but we can confirm as Armscor that the Air Force and we are trying to source funds to make sure that the check is well-funded. 'The major four-year maintenance is due in October 2025. This requires good planning and a scope of work from SAAF at least six months in advance. The scope of work is still to be finalised.' SAAF: No interior maintenance The interior update will also not occur in this contracting period due to a lack of funds. 'The BBJ is not fully funded as there are insufficient funds to conduct various refurbishments and upgrades in the aircraft, e.g Cabin refurbishment. Funds are only utilised for the C-Check and normal day-to-day maintenance.' The Falcon fleet used by the deputy resident has not been spared either. The contract for the maintenance and support of the Falcon fleet, as well as its associated ground support and test equipment, is with Execujet MRO Services and was in effect from 1 March 2023, to 28 February 2026. The value of the contract is R252.4 million, but the SAAF needs R142.1 million to maintain the fleet. READ NEXT: SANDF budget constraints: Not enough soldiers at the border, reserves getting older
