Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

The SA National Defence Force yesterday begged MPs for more money. It argued that its role at home and on the continent at large could not be sustained with its current budget.

“We need support for more funds,” Lieutenant-General Rinus van Rensburg told the NCOP’s security and constitutional affairs committee.

He was accompanied by acting defence chief Johannes Modimo and other top-ranking officials.

MPs were told that the defence budget needed to be “relooked” as it had declined continuously since 1989.

In 1989 defence spending accounted for just over 15% of government expenditure and 4.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Today it accounted for 4% and 1.2% respectively. “This is lower than the 6% of government expenditure and 2% of GDP prescribed by international norms,” said SANDF budget director Barnie Engelbrecht.

The SANDF’s chief of strategy, policy and planning, Tsepe Motumi, said the military’s budgets and resources were stretched to breaking point. “Combat readiness is affected by health status, exponential personnel growth, and insufficient funding,” he said. If problems were not addressed soon, troop deployment locally and internationally would be affected.

Operating budgets for air defence were already “insufficient” to meet commitments and required maintenance, he said. This was leading to a deterioration of equipment, weapons systems and ground support infrastructure. “Flying hours have already had to be scaled down.”

The problems also extended to maritime defence where a shortage of cash had lead to the deterioration of facilities and equipment.

Because the navy did not have the money to train and retain personnel it also compromised the use of new equipment, he said. The navy recently acquired three type 209 submarines and four patrol corvettes as part of the arms deal.

Motumi said health services were also being affected by the deterioration of hospitals, facilities and equipment. Committee chairman Kgosi Mokoena noted that the department had not received a clean bill of health from the Auditor-General and underspent its previous budget. He said those who held the purse strings must realise the importance of the defence department. “Otherwise one day they are going to say we messed up.”