Rise Mzansi believes Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga is hiding the state of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF’s) prime mission equipment, and has warned that if the decline of the military continues, South Africa will soon have an SANDF in name only.
Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi asked Motshekga to provide details on the percentage of SANDF equipment that has reached the end of its lifespan but is still being operated, and a breakdown of this in each division as well as the cost to replace outdated equipment.
He was told in a written parliamentary reply last month that, “the RSA has established a practice and norm consistent with international practices that matters of combat readiness of the country’s military capabilities are only discussed in a closed session, the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) at the behest of the legislative authority. Should the Parliament schedule such, the DoD will comprehensively discuss its readiness inclusive of the history, serviceability and availability of its platforms.”
Rise Mzansi MP and National Assembly Caucus Whip Makashule Gana responded to this “non-response” by saying this is “a selective application of the aforementioned ‘norm and standard’ given that the Ministry has previously provided responses to written questions that relate to maintenance of if its fleet and the capabilities of the Force to defend the Republic’s sovereignty, for an example.”
Gana said in a statement that the Minister’s non-response reeks of an attempt to hide what the true state of the SANDF’s fleet is and its ability to fulfil its constitutional mandate.
In 2023, three SA Navy submariners lost their lives during a training accident described as a “freak accident”. The Chief of the SA Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, said before a Board of Inquiry to investigate the incident that training does not happen as it should “due to ongoing budget constraints that impede platform or vessel maintenance, resulting in reduced sea time, which impedes training and, ultimately, experience.”
“The SANDF is in distress, and it is costing lives both locally and on foreign missions, as we learned when two SANDF soldiers lost their lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo in June of this year,” Gana said. “The veil of secrecy thrown over the SANDF’s fleet comes off the back of the Auditor-General’s report painting a picture of a defence force that is financially crippled and with a stretched mandate. For example –
• The SANDF is seeing a decline in prime-mission equipment
• The SA Air Force is seeing a decline in the number of hours flown
• The SA Navy is seeing a decline in the number of hours at sea
• A whopping 62.5% of SANDF commitments are unfunded.
“If these matters, among others, are not addressed, we will soon, if not already, only have an SANDF in name. Therefore, as a matter of urgency, Minister Motshekga needs to commission a Defence Review, which considers the current economic climate, the effectiveness of the current SANDF leadership and management, our involvement in foreign missions and the Force’s aging personnel, to name a few issues.”
Gana pledged that Rise Mzansi will continue to hold the Executive accountable by conducting oversight, asking questions, and doing the work of Parliament. “South Africans expect honesty and transparency from its public representatives, Departments and Entities,” he concluded.
