Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) has expressed concern over the lateness and content of Presidential authorisation letters, particularly for the deployment of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
President Cyril Ramaphosa on 24 December 2024 submitted letters to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces on the DRC deployment, and these were tabled in Parliament on 23 January 2025. The letters informed Parliament that up to 2 900 troops would, in support of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), assist the Government of the DRC in its efforts to nuetralise illegal armed groups and negative forces in the conflict-affected areas of the central African country.
The deployment, to the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), is authorised from 16 December 2024 to 15 December 2025 at a cost of R2.371 billion.
In a committee report dated 21 February, the JSCD said the letters did not comply with Section 18(3) of the Defence Act (No 42 of 2002) which states that “If Parliament does not sit during the first seven days after the employment of the Defence Force as contemplated in subsection (2), the President or Minister, as the case may be, must provide the information required in that subsection to the appropriate oversight committee of Parliament on Defence.” Given that the letters are dated 24 December 2024, but relates to a deployment from 16 December 2024, eight days passed prior to Parliament being informed.
The JSCD also expressed the need for further clarification on the content of the letter, specifically the mandate of the SANDF as part of the SADC force deployed in the DRC.
“The Committee noted that the SANDF soldiers remain deployed in the DRC and further information on their situation is required. The Committee therefore sought to prioritise a closed meeting with the Minister of Defence and/or the Chief of the SANDF.”
The Committee went on to request the Presiding Officers to solicit an urgent response from the President as Commander-in-Chief of the SANDF on why the presidential letter of employment to Parliament was dated 24 December 2024 while the deployment commenced on 16 December 2024; and clarity on the exact mandate of the SANDF forces deployed to the DRC as part of the SADC mission under Operation Thiba.
An earlier JSCD statement on 8 February quoted Co-chair Malusi Gigaba as saying: “A recurring concern already highlighted in the sixth Parliament is the delay in being informed about deployments”.
The statement was prompted by the December DRC employment letter.
“The committee will draft a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly (Thoko Didiza) and Chair (Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane) of the NCOP (National Council of Provinces), requesting they engage the President on why the notification took more than seven days to reach Parliament,” the JSCD said.
The JSCD wants notification of troop deployments for “international missions to be transparent, especially regarding potential military engagements” adding delays in receiving Presidential authorisation letters hamper oversight and undermine constitutional obligations.
Ramaphosa’s authorisation letters usually go to Didiza and her equivalent at the NCOP and the chairs of the Parliamentary defence oversight committees. They generally take the form of what can be termed a pro-forma document stating however many SANDF members will be “employed” on, for example, the now completed Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) and the still underway SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A mission cost is part of the document without specifying any breakdown as regards cost of employment (CoE), as in allowances and salaries, as well as that for moving equipment and troops to the identified deployment area. Specific costs attached to deployments, such as air cover (if deemed to be necessary and platforms are available) and medical support do not feature in any of the Presidential authorisation letters seen by this publication.
As an example, this extract from the Ramaphosa signed letter authorising an extension of continental duty with the United Nations (UN) mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) states: “Members of the SANDF employed will continue, under MONUSCO, with the effort to neutralise negative forces and illegal armed groups by restoring peace and security in the DRC under Operation Mistral over the of period 16 April 2024 to 20 December 2024” and gives an expenditure of R805 057 755, without any breakdown.
Presidency authorisation letters for ad-hoc internal deployment, such as in 2020 for the COVID-19 pandemic; protection of national key point (NKPs), particularly Eskom power stations and infrastructure as well as supporting police in curbing illegal mining (Operation Vala Umgodi), follow the same format.
