As an EFF MP on the portfolio committee on defence & military veterans and on the joint standing committee on defence, I have witnessed firsthand the slow-motion collapse of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
What was once a proud institution capable of defending our sovereignty and contributing to regional stability has been reduced to a shadow of its former self through years of chronic underfunding, managerial incompetence, corruption and a shocking disconnect between top leadership and the rank-and-file soldiers.
Defence spending remains stuck at a pathetic 0.7% of GDP. The SANDF faces R8bn in maintenance backlogs, unfunded capabilities across air, sea and land domains, and the constant threat of unauthorised expenditure on compensation of employees. Procurement, maintenance, training, infrastructure and operational readiness are all severely constrained.
From intelligence and cyber capabilities to maritime patrol, land forces, air support and medical services, the force is operating on fumes.
A glaring example is the roughly 40% (about R1.14bn) budget shortfall in defence intelligence. In an era of hybrid warfare, grey-zone operations, disinformation and sophisticated cyber threats, intelligence is the bedrock of any credible defence posture.
Without timely signals intelligence, human intelligence, imagery and robust cyber capabilities, our forces operate blind — vulnerable to surprise attacks, infiltration and strategic compromise. This shortfall worsens broader vulnerabilities in South Africa’s intelligence sector, including outdated IT systems and co-ordination failures.
The risks are concrete. Denel, our vital state-owned defence industrial asset, continues its chronic crisis with operating losses exceeding R600m annually and catastrophic revenue shortfalls. Much of its R5.2bn recapitalisation has been squandered on legacy debts rather than genuine growth. Investigations by the SIU and reports from the Organised Crime & Corruption Reporting Project have documented how critical missile technologies were allegedly misappropriated through joint ventures and unauthorised transfers linked to UAE state-connected entities.
In 2012, Denel partnered with Tawazun, creating what became Al Tariq, now part of the EDGE Group. The venture involved precision-guided munitions derived from South African systems such as the Umbani glide bomb kit. Collaboration turned into allegations of improper IP transfer.
Data packs for key missile systems — Mkhonto (surface-to-air), Ingwe (anti-armour) and Mokopa (air-to-surface) — were reportedly accessed without proper authorisation. IP valued at R328m was transferred, with potential royalty losses exceeding R1.5bn. These South African-developed technologies are now in production in the UAE and marketed internationally without consent or royalties returning home. Hundreds of skilled engineers were poached amid Denel’s decline. This alleged dispossession has hollowed out our strategic capabilities. Weak intelligence made such breaches easier. Every South African should be alarmed: this Achilles’ heel threatens national sovereignty.
The top command appears out of touch, living in luxury while ordinary soldiers endure squalor
Armscor’s procurement failures deepen the damage. Project Hotel, the new hydrographic survey vessel, remains stalled after nearly 10 years, with hull and fittings barely 60% complete despite billions spent on endless variation orders. The long-overdue refit of the SAS Isandlwana frigate is mired in delays, while the Armscor dockyard in Simon’s Town is in chronic collapse.
The South African Military Health Service, once a flagship capability, has crumbled under corruption and maladministration; 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria, previously the pride of the SANDF’s health services, has now collapsed.
It outsources services due to cash shortages — unsustainable and more expensive than maintaining in-house capacity. Operating theatres have been dysfunctional for nearly two decades, with billions wasted on stalled refurbishments and graft. Forensic reports implicate officials, yet accountability is absent. This drains taxpayers, erodes institutional knowledge, harms serving members and veterans and destroys morale.
The department of military veterans is in terminal decline. Programme 2, covering housing, pensions, health care and counselling, has suffered sharp real cuts. Housing targets have collapsed to just 450 houses over the entire three-year medium-term expenditure framework. The database remains fraudulent and incomplete, pensions collapse mid-year, and key leadership positions stay vacant amid serious allegations. This is managed abandonment of those who served.
Managerial collapse and leadership failure worsen every problem. There is a glaring absence of clear policy documents to guide spending of the limited funds available. The top command appears out of touch, living in luxury while ordinary soldiers endure squalor. I have walked through crumbling facilities like the “Brown Flats” in Thaba Tshwane, where leaking roofs, sewage backups, faulty wiring and unsanitary conditions are routine. Morale has plummeted and discipline eroded.
This shows in shocking security lapses. Military bases are collapsing, with poor fencing, maintenance failures and rampant theft. Recent incidents at Tek Base in the Thaba Tshwane/Kabatswane area saw three R4 assault rifles and a grenade launcher stolen. Between 2019 and 2023, dozens of weapons were lost or stolen, alongside cable theft, sabotage and land invasions at bases including Wahlmansthal and Swartkop. A defence force that cannot secure its own armouries cannot secure the republic.
We are also asked to fund the Castle Control Board — a 359-year-old symbol of colonial invasion and black subjugation — while core programmes starve. This is ideological betrayal.
The cabinet has referred to a “journey to greatness” 30-year strategy with aspirational talk of modernisation and eventually reaching 1.5% of GDP.
However, this document has not yet been presented to parliament. We do not know its detailed content, costing, timelines or funding mechanisms. Parliamentary oversight over its development has been absent. Without realistic costing, proper funding, political will, anti-corruption measures and scrutiny, it risks becoming another unfunded mandate. The SANDF faces a dual crisis of resources and execution.
South Africa needs a pragmatic national conversation on defence that balances fiscal realities with strategic imperatives — protecting borders, supporting regional peace and safeguarding sovereignty.
The ANC-led GNU has shown no urgency or vision. Cadre deployment and neglect have hollowed out the institution. The rank-and-file — brave men and women risking their lives in deployments such as the DRC mission — deserve better than dilapidated barracks, unreliable equipment, outsourced health care and broken promises to veterans. National security cannot be an afterthought.
The time for half-measures is over. Without bold action in this week’s budget votes, risks to our territorial integrity, economic interests, and citizens’ safety will only grow. The EFF stands ready to fight for a capable, professional and properly resourced SANDF that puts soldiers and veterans first and serves South Africa with dignity and effectiveness. Our national sovereignty and defence depend on it.
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