Will the department be taking part in the commemoration of the sinking of the SS Mendi?
We were there yesterday when the parade was officiated by the president.
You're talking about Armed Forces Day?
Yes, which happens also to be part of acknowledging and recognising the role and sacrifices of the SS Mendi soldiers who perished in the English Channel.
So is it the department's position that they deserve to be honoured?
Of course. They were called upon at the time and they responded accordingly, on behalf of the country.
Has the department changed its tune?
The department's position has never been different from what I'm saying.
Why did the spokesperson for the department say it would not take part in the commemoration?
We need to find out exactly what he said and what the circumstances were. Only then can we respond to what you're saying. I need to engage him, which I intend to do.
Is it for the department to decide who deserves to be commemorated and who does not?
It is not us who determine who gets commemorated and who does not get commemorated. It's got nothing to do with politics, but it's got everything to do with events which took place at a particular time under particular conditions which government has seen fit to acknowledge and recognise, and has directed that those days and events will be commemorated. That has been decided. It's not for us to decide again, or reconsider it.
Does the spokesperson not reflect the department's official views?
Well, he does. But what he said is not the position of the department.
How can there be such a disjuncture between what the spokesperson says and what you say is the department's position?
I am in Cape Town, he is in Gauteng. So I need to get all the facts to be able to do something about what you are telling me now.
President Cyril Ramaphosa says the Mendi memorial needs to be expanded. Is this the position of the department?
The president has spoken, and he is our patron in chief and our commander in chief. Supporting him is our obligation.
What is the department's position on those killed in World War 1 and World War 2?
Those who died in the name of the country need to be honoured and commemorated so that we don't forget and don't repeat the mistakes of the past.
The spokesperson says they should not be commemorated because those wars belong to an imperial and colonial past.
I need to understand where he is coming from with that kind of attitude, if he said this.
Are you concerned that the department is too politicised?
It wouldn't be correct to say the department, but there might be individuals who still have particular political inclinations. Government policy speaks to social cohesion, unity and nation-building. Things that are not in line with this need to be addressed...