DA Demands SANDF Withdrawal from DRC and New Defence Review Due to Funding Shortfalls

Picture courtesy: (IOL/Boxer Ngwenya) DA representative, Chris Hattingh warns that the lack of funding to the defence force could hinder the SANDF from fulfilling its mandate in the DRC.

(The Post News)- The Democratic Alliance has demanded a new defence review and the removal of soldiers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) due to the critical under funding of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), which has an impact on capabilities and equipment.

On Monday, July 15, in Parliament, during the defence budget vote, Chris Hattingh, the DA representative for defence and military veterans, told the members of Parliament that the defence budget had dropped from R52.5 billion to R51.8 billion.

This marked the continuation of a decreasing trend that had witnessed a drop of 1.3% year over year and 5.69% in real terms when inflation was considered.

He drew attention to the fact that the Department of Defence notified the National Treasury in July 2023 that there was not enough money to pay employees, that important positions were going unfilled, and that the Department of Defence was unable to carry out its primary mission due to growing operational demands.

He highlighted that the Department of Defence is unable to secure and modernise legacy defence ICT systems, and there is a lack of funding for the Strategic Capital Acquisition Master Plan (SCAMP).

Additionally, SANDF facilities, infrastructure, and capabilities are deteriorating, and critical stock levels of fuel, ammunition, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals are not being maintained.

He addressed Parliament, saying, “Now let me address the elephant in the room.” “There is no doubt that the SANDF deployment in the DRC is not a SADC peacekeeping operation. Despite having extensive borders with the DRC, SADC neighbours like Zambia and Angola do not take part in this operation.”

He added that the conflict between the DRC and multiple rebel groups, including M23, has intensified into an unofficial war.

The DRC army, the Wazalendo coalition of rebel groups, the FDLR, the Burundi National Defence Force, and the SADC force are on one side, while rebel groups allied with South Africa and other factions oppose the Rwanda Defence Force and the M23 rebel group coalition on the other.

Chris Hattingh, another DA representative, warned that the lack of adequate funding resulted in a lack of proper maintenance and regular upgrading and replacement of obsolete equipment, and this has seriously impacted the SANDF’s ability to fulfill its mandate.