The Military Academy had its Welcoming Parade for the first year learners on 29 January 2015 at the Military Academy parade ground. The students were especially welcomed and honored by the presence of the Mayor of Saldanha municipality, Mr Francois Schippers, the Chief Human Resources, Lieutenant General Norman Yengeni as well as the Chair of the Defence Force Service Commission, Prof Edna van Harte and her team. There are a total of 75 first years from all Defence Force services who are starting with their studies this year. The parade was led by the SA Army Band from Youngsfield.
The Commandant, Brigadier General Lawrence Mbatha welcomed the first years to the unit and also extended a welcoming to all staff members and students, back from leave. In his speech, Brigadier General Mbatha mentioned that 2014 has been one of the busiest for the Military Academy and that the successes achieved would not have been possible without the dedication of the staff, interest and financial support from the Department of Defence and last but not least, the support from the West Coast community.
The Commandant mentioned that with various high-profile visits and unit activities that kept members together, the Military Academy was re-established as an asset to the DOD. He also said that the unit needs to balance the emphasis of academia with professional military training. "For the Academy to succeed in producing the DOD desirable end state - a balanced product of a professional Junior Military Leader."
Brig Gen Mbatha also said that the Military Academy do not only want to be perceived as a relevant institution to the DOD and Military Veterans, but to be regarded a pedestal of hope wrt academic and professional military training of excellence to the broader community of the DOD. "I therefore extend my plea to all Services, Divisions, up to the lowest serving member of the DOD not to hesitate to forward their training requirements to the Academy, so as to remain relevant to the critical needs and address the skills gaps currently existing within the DOD".
The Welcoming Parade marks a great start to the beginning of the year for the Military Academy, and first year learners got their first taste of events to come at this unit. As part of the parade, the Dean of Faculty Military Science, Professor Samuel Tshehla, read the Military Academy Code of Honour to the students, which should serve as a guideline for them to complete their studies successfully.
The evening of the 29th of January, saw first year students and staff of the Military Academy (Faculty of Military Science) attending the Academic Opening for 2015 – formally getting the academic year underway to the beat of the Diazville High School Band. The unit were privileged to have the Acting Rector and Vice-Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, Professor Leopoldt van Huyssteen, as the guest speaker.
Prof van Huyssteen reminded everyone that "a good start is half the battle" and that the university places a high premium on excellence. "We are now ranked amongst the top 2% of higher-education institutions in the world and the high academic achievements here at Saldanha (Military Academy) is part of this success story. Last year, 38 BMil degrees, 12 Honours degrees and 2 master's Degrees were awarded here." He also stated that "it is an honour for Stellenbosch University to contribute, through the Faculty of Military Science and the Military Academy, to such important structures in our country as the DOD and the SANDF"
Prof van Huyssteen also highlighted that Community Interaction is one of the core activities of the university, "because the pursuit of knowledge is not of much use if it does not improve people's lives." In September 2014, the university has concluded an agreement with the Saldanha Bay Municipality to be the "knowledge partner" of the community through its structure at the Military Academy.
As Brigadier General Mbatha has pledged that we remain committed as an institution irrespective of the challenges we are encountering, to be focused and committed to our vision and mission, we wish the intake of 2015 a prosperous three years at the Military Academy.
