Defence Minister Angie Motshekga commits to modernising SANDF despite budget constraints
Presenting her Budget Vote speech for the 2025/26 financial year, Minister Motshekga told Parliament that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) remains committed to safeguarding national sovereignty and contributing to peace and stability in the region.
Acknowledging the constraints, she said: "In spite of our ongoing financial constraints, which badly affect our planning and operations, we will continue to reprioritise and do more with the little that we have received or which is at our disposal,' Motshekga said.
Motshekga confirmed that all 2,250 SANDF troops deployed under Operation Tiber in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have returned home.
'Since the announcement of Summit DRC base withdrawal by our regional body SADC, all 2,250 members are back home,' she said.
Motshekga expressed gratitude to neighbouring countries, stating, "I want to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Rwanda for allowing us a safe passage through their territory into Tanzania, and further wish to thank the Governments of Tanzania, Malawi, and the parties involved in the safe withdrawal of our members."
The Department of Defence has been allocated R57.103 billion for 2025/26. Of this, R36 billion (64%) is for compensation of employees. Key allocations include: R2.7 billion for accommodation and municipal services; R2.5 billion for peacekeeping operations; R1.4 billion for transfers to AMSCO; R487 million for SADC contributions; R480 million for repair and maintenance; R300 million for emergency and day-to-day maintenance; and R200 million for border security vehicles and tech. Only R12 billion remains for all other operations.
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TimesLIVE
a day ago
- TimesLIVE
We're not responsible for SANDF budget cuts: National Treasury
The National Treasury says it is not responsible for any budget challenges experienced by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The Treasury said it was concerned by remarks made by the head of the navy, Adm Monde Lobese, who accused it of compromising national security by not providing the defence force with resources. Lobese made the comments during a joint standing committee on defence meeting in parliament on Friday. In response, the Treasury said in line with the constitution, withdrawing funds from the National Revenue Fund can only be done through an act of parliament. 'Final approval is by parliament and the National Treasury is then entrusted to ensure the implementation of parliament's decisions. It is therefore incorrect to suggest the National Treasury is responsible for budget challenges experienced by the SANDF,' it said. Lobese told the committee it needs to take a stand against what he called the 'sabotage' of the defence force due to years of defunding. 'National Treasury for a change needs to be patriotic in how they address the funding of the SANDF. National Treasury can't be allowed to be a super department,' he said. However, the Treasury said in terms of the Public Finance Management Act, the Treasury is responsible for managing the budget process and exercising control over the implementation of the national budget. According to the Treasury, the 2025/2026 proposed defence allocation of R57.2bn in the Appropriation Bill was informed by the government's broader fiscal strategy, which aimed to stabilise public finances, reduce debt service costs and create space to invest in critical infrastructure and frontline services in support of higher growth. 'In this constrained fiscal environment, the department of defence has been allocated an additional R4.3bn over the 2025 medium-term expenditure framework to support priority needs — most notably, the orderly and safe withdrawal of troops and mission equipment from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with other essential operational requirements.' TimesLIVE previously reported that defence and military veterans minister Angie Motshekga said better funding could have allowed the defence force to handle the repatriation of troops deployed to the eastern DRC as part of the Sadc Mission in the DRC, avoiding trauma and logistical chaos.
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Tensions rise as SANDF criticises National Treasury over military funding
The Chief of the SA Navy, Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese, highlighted the acquisition of three submarines from Germany, lamenting that 80% of the funds were used just for procurement, leaving a mere 20% for necessary spare parts over their estimated 30-year lifespan. Banele Ginidza The National Treasury has fired back that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), saying that it has allocated an additional R10 billion to its R57.2bn budget in the 2025/26 financial year. This comes after Navy Admiral Monde Lobese launched a scathing attack against the Treasury last week, accusing it of sabotaging the operational capacity of the SANDF through inadequate budget allocations. Lobese's appearance before the Joint Standing on Defence on Friday was initially intended to address ongoing disputes between the SANDF and Amscor related to constrained procurement processes. However, it quickly evolved into a broader critique of the Treasury's budgeting practices, which he claims have long stifled the SANDF's ability to fulfil its mandate. "National Treasury can't be allowed to be a super-department or a government on its own over and above the current government. We cannot afford to compromise the security of citizens by defunding the SANDF because of what the National Treasury is actually doing," Lobese charged. "Our maritime borders are porous because of the lack of capabilities not because of the lack of will from myself and my team and Navy, or the lack of skills to defend our maritime resources and the economy of this country, but it is due to the failure by National Treasury and the government to adequately resource the SANDF to the required level." Lobese pointed towards a historical trend of lean budget allocations, noting that since the year 2000, the Navy's resources have been severely limited. He highlighted the acquisition of three submarines from Germany, lamenting that 80% of the funds were used just for procurement, leaving a mere 20% for necessary spare parts over their estimated 30-year lifespan. Apparently, the submarines have only been used in the voyage from the manufacturer to the dockyard. "We can't run operations through procurement. It's like buying a loaf of bread and eating it on that specific day. The SANDF, specifically the Navy, must have fully stocked depots so that we are able to prepare and provide combat ready and maritime force at any given time that Parliament gives the task to the SANDF," he said. "We should make sure on-board spares and other commodities are also ready and available when conducting operations to guarantee on-time maintenace and upkeep of schedules and plans are achieved, not what we are experiencing as SANDF and the Navy. The absence of spares affects our ability to meet maintenance and schedules as pre-determined by Original Equipment Manufacturers." However, the National Treasury responded swiftly to Lobese's assertions, emphasising its role in facilitating a balanced budgeting process that aligns with broader national fiscal goals. Treasury said Lobese's comments were concerning as it was responsible for the planning process that resulted in a Cabinet decision reflecting trade-offs between various policy priorities. Treasury said the final approval was by Parliament, and [Treasury] was then entrusted to ensure the implementation of Parliament's decisions. "It is therefore incorrect to suggest that the National Treasury is responsible for any budget challenges experienced by the SANDF," it said. "Furthermore, the 2025/26 proposed allocation of R57.2bn in the Appropriation Bill is informed by the government's broader fiscal strategy, which aims to stabilise public finances, reduce debt-service costs, and create space to invest in critical infrastructure and frontline services in support of higher growth." Treasury said within this constrained fiscal environment, the Department of Defence has been allocated an additional R4.3bn over the 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) to support priority needs—most notably, the orderly and safe withdrawal of troops and mission equipment from the Democratic Republic of Congo, alongside other essential operational requirements. It said in addition, the 2025 MTEF fiscal framework contains R5.5bn for early retirement in 2025/26 and 2026/27, most of which will be used by the SANDF to realign their personnel structure with their compensation budget, which is currently unsustainable. "Internal resource allocation in the Department of Defence is the responsibility of the Accounting Officer and if a particular division believes they are underfunded, it is a matter that should be addressed internally," Treasury said. BUSINESS REPORT
eNCA
3 days ago
- eNCA
Treasury shoots down SANDF funding criticism
JOHANNESBURG - National Treasury is responding to criticism from Navy Chief Admiral Monde Lobese. He accused Treasury of sabotaging the SANDF during a Joint Standing Committee of Defence meeting. Lobese says Treasury cannot operate like a super department or a government on its own. The SANDF has been allocated 1.7 percent of the country's GDP, just over R57-billion. But, Treasury has hit back, saying it's wrong to suggest the department is responsible for the army's funding crisis. It says Cabinet decides on allocations. In addition to funding distributed for this financial year, the SANDF has also been allocated R4.3-billion in the 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and R5.5-billion for early retirement for the current and next financial years.
