Solidarity: Denel PMP investment will only succeed with the right people and expertise

Solidarity welcomes Denel’s decision to invite investors to strengthen its ammunition manufacturing division.

However, Solidarity cautions that no investment or partnership will succeed without the necessary skills and expertise, and these can only be retained and developed if the right people remain on board.

Solidarity believes that discussions about the future of Denel Pretoria Metal Pressings (PMP) must consistently recognise this fundamental requirement. Derek Mans, Solidarity’s Defence and Aviation Coordinator, expands on this in his opinion piece, Everyone Has a Plan for PMP. But WHO Is Going to Make It Work?, which has been distributed to media outlets for publication.

Mans emphasises that capital investment alone will not restore South Africa’s strategic defence manufacturing capability.

“For years, the debate centred on ownership. Now it centres on investment. Both are important, but neither addresses the heart of the problem. The real question is whether the right conditions exist to make any recovery plan succeed,” says Mans.

According to Mans, Solidarity welcomes Denel’s decision to engage strategic partners and supports public-private partnerships that can strengthen production capacity, export capability, and South Africa’s strategic defence industry.

“But without the right people, the necessary expertise, and capable leadership to sustain the business, there is no guarantee that Denel’s decline will be reversed.

“It is not machines that manufacture ammunition – it is people. When experienced artisans, engineers, technicians, and operators leave the company, PMP loses expertise that simply cannot be bought back with money.

“That is a reality Denel must address as a matter of urgency,” says Mans.

Solidarity believes that any recovery plan should extend beyond the foundry and focus on strengthening the entire PMP operation as an integrated manufacturing system.

Production, maintenance, quality control, logistics, and specialised skills do not function in isolation.

Mans explains that when one link in the chain weakens, the entire manufacturing process is affected.

Solidarity further believes that critical labour issues cannot be dismissed as routine human resources matters.

“Salary stability, fair job grading, career development, and the retention of scarce skills are not merely employee concerns. They are prerequisites for success. Every employee who leaves takes years of institutional knowledge with them,” says Mans.

According to Mans, every proposal for PMP’s future should be measured against five practical benchmarks: stable remuneration, the retention of critical skills, safe production, sound corporate governance and accountability, and clear, measurable implementation milestones.

“These are not obstacles to investment. On the contrary, they are the very factors that determine whether an investment will ultimately succeed. South Africa now has an opportunity to move beyond yet another recovery plan that exists only on paper.

“The conversation should no longer focus solely on who will invest in PMP. It should focus on what is required to make that investment succeed. Without the right people, the right leadership, and proper execution, no investor will be able to save PMP on their own,” says Mans.