Parliamentary defence committees call for increased funding for the SANDF

South Africa's parliamentary committees on defence are pressing the government to inject increased financial resources into the Department of Defence.

This renewed emphasis comes amid revelations that the defence is grappling with long-standing budgetary constraints that have dire implications for national security.

During the weekly committee cluster media briefing in Parliament, the chairperson of the defence and military veterans portfolio committee Dakota Legoete pointed out that the defence review strategy adopted in 2015 highlighted that the department was in a critical state of decline.

“That defence review was not fully implemented due ongoing budgetary constraints,” Legoete said.

He also said the defence force was ageing, with the average age of members standing at 45.

“There is a need to bring new and fresh blood. We, as the committee, directed the executive and administration to ensure that we recruit at least 20,000 soldiers (in the) next three years,” Legoete said.

Legoete stated that while the funding of the SANDF has been raised over the past 15 years, money had been taken from the defence budget to fund state-owned enterprises and free higher education.

“It is going to be important that we move with the global and international trends in terms of 2% spend to GDP,” he said, adding that some countries spend 3 to 4% of their GDP on their defence force.

“We have requested from the executive, the President and Treasury to ensure that we are also in line with international practice, to ensure we defend our country,” Legoete added.

Malusi Gigaba, co-chairperson of the standing committee on defence, said the budget allocated to the defence remained significantly low.

“The inability to fund the SANDF is not only counterproductive, it robs the SANDF of the ability to acquire needed capacity for combat but also its undercuts the defence industry ability to increase production and absorb more people,” Gigaba added.

He noted with concern that Denel was a shadow of itself.

“The government interventions must start to show result to prevent a permanent state of crisis that paralyses the entire defence. The committee will continue to monitor the implementation of the turn around strategy of Denel to ensure interventions bear fruit.”

Gigaba said the changing geopolitical environment presented risks and opportunities for the SA defence industry.

“The industry must continuously source new markets especially in light of intention by some countries to increase their expenditure on defence.”

Gigaba defended their call for increased funding for the defence amid other competing needs in the country.

“The needs of the national defence force are part of the needs of society. We must never separate the national defence from society.”

He also said it was important to look at the funding of the defence not just over the medium term but into the future.

“There is an urgent for the national defence to be funded appropriately.”

Gigaba also said the ability of SANDF to defend the territorial integrity of South Africa remained in doubt due to the availability of serviceable prime equipment that was closely linked to Denel’s inability to be stable and increase its order book.

“Getting the entire defence operations functional should be the pre-occupation of the seventh administration.”

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za