Delivering Yuletide
goodies to all South
African National
Defence Force
(SANDF) members on deployment
duty between December 25 and
January 1, wherever they are on
the continent, is a gargantuan
logistics exercise in sourcing,
packing and distributing.
And it’s been undertaken
every year since 2001 thanks
to the Goodwill Parcel Project
(GWPP). Co-driven by the South
African Army Foundation (the
Foundation), it raises money from
big corporate sponsors to provide
each combatant on deployment
over the festive period with a gift
(usually a tog bag with useful
items to make their lives easier in
the field). Their families at home
receive a hamper of dry goods
and other useful elements for the
home.
Now in its 61st year of
operation, the Foundation caters
for the welfare of SA Army
personnel in areas where the
military does not. This is done
to improve quality of home
life and give access to specially
tailored services and benefits
such as internet access, children’s
bursaries, access to affordable
technology and even holidays
locally and abroad. Its overriding
intent is to improve morale within
the ranks.
General manager of the
Foundation, Angel Ramphele, said
the GWPP exercise was the “jewel
in the crown” of its operations
out of its Clubview, Pretoria head
office.
“The GWPP reflects appreciation
of the South African corporate
sector for the sacrifice that our
soldiers make in giving up their
Christmas family time to fulfil the
country’s continental commitments
to peace and prosperity and make
its internal borders safe,” he said.
Although delivery is in
December, the magnitude of
the project is such that the
Foundation begins the process
by raising sponsorship from
various corporate organisations,
after which the SANDF Joint
Operations (JOps) begins
assembling the gift and hamper
components and then the packing
for delivery to multiple points
over the border and internally in
March each year.
Making it happen is a complex
logistics exercise over thousands
of kilometres internally and
externally. The SANDF structures
and JOps get involved to meet
the logistics of the exercise. The
South African Air Force (SAAF)
is vital for delivery of thousands of
bulky gifts to forces in mainly the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC).
Delivery of about 10 000 items
must be fulfilled in three weeks
in December to ensure that all
gifts reach military personnel
in the field over the border as
well as those serving on South
Africa’s borders to bolster police
operations and anti-poaching
efforts in Kruger National Park.
Hampers must also be with
families by Christmas.
The delivery of the gifts begins
at De Brug in Bloemfontein
after a pre-deployment parade.
Each tog bag is filled with
smaller items and the hamper
boxes prepared over months
by a dedicated SANDF team,
seconded for the purpose, at a
warehouse in Thaba Tshwane and
then transported to where they
are needed.
Sponsors send representatives
to De Brug to meet, greet and
hand over to the expectant
recipients.
A chartered flight then
undertakes a week-long visit from
Waterkloof Airbase to various
points where South African
troops are operating to enable
GWPP corporate supporters
to personally participate in the
handovers. Sponsored sports
gear to facilitate sports activities
whilst on deployment is also
handed over. Military intelligence
constantly monitors security and
safety elements of its civilian
VIPs.
Following this visit buses
depart from Pretoria to different
provinces’ borders where SANDF
personnel assist the South
African Police Service with border
patrolling as well as contribute to
rhino and elephant anti-poaching
drives in the Kruger National
Park. Gifts are delivered to be
handed over at unusual venues
such as under trees and even on
the side of the road as many of the
locations for the troops are only
arduously accessible.
Any hospitalised soldier
scheduled for Christmas crossborder
or internal border duty
will be visited by the Foundation
to receive a gift as well.
The family hampers are
distributed through the SANDF
on behalf of the SANDF Spouses
Forum headed by Charlotte Shoke,
the wife of the chief of the South
African National Defence Force
(SANDF), General Solly Shoke.
