SANDF underfunding poses safety risk for the country: Analysts

Some defence analysts have echoed concerns raised in Parliament this week that the underfunding of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is placing the country’s safety at risk.

This week, Peace and Security Cluster Chairpersons briefed the media on various issues as part of Parliament’s continuous engagement with the nation.

Among the issues was the funding of the Defence Force. Analysts say the implications could be dire. The death of 14 soldiers in the DRC earlier this year brought the resourcing and funding of the Defence Force into sharp focus.

And with budget talks currently under way, Peace and Security Cluster Chairpersons again remarked about this. Only zero-point-seven percent of the budget is allocated to the Defence Force.

Co-chairperson of Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Malusi Gigaba, lamented this.

“The inability to fund SANDF is not only counterproductive as it not only robs the SANDF of ability to acquire the needed capabilities for combat but it also undercuts the defence industry’s ability to increase production and absorb more people thereby creating job opportunities, The ability of the SANDF effectively to defend South Africa’s territorial integrity remains in doubt. Furthermore, air and maritime defence remain underfunded affecting operational readiness. Getting the entire defence value chain functional should be a critical preoccupation.”

Analysts agree that the budget cuts of the past 15 years have had severe and far-reaching implications.

Director at African Defence Review, Darren Olivier, says it ranges from a lower availability of Airforce aircraft, training hours and much-needed joint operations to ensure the SANDF is combat-ready and adequately geared to defend the Republic’s borders.

“At this point, the SANDF is much weaker than it was even 10 years ago. Even more so 20 years ago. It can still be rescued. The 2015 defence review recognised this decline and announced a few measures to restore the capabilities of early to mid 2000s. However, to do so would require substantial allocation of funding, perhaps as much as doubling the current defence budget.”

Another analyst, Dean Wingrin explains the impact of the budget cuts.

“The impact of these budget cuts have had a drastic effect on the ability of the Defence Force to carry out its missions. Obsolete armoured and infantry fighting vehicles can’t be replaced. The army is reliant on reserve forces to patrol borders and even then, the entire border can’t be patrolled. 20-year-old ships can’t be maintained, ungraded or modernised. This means the army is only able of undertaking 126 of its 196 capabilities. The Airforce can only fly 6 800 of reduced budgeted 1200 flying hours. And the navy can only go to sea for 2 400 instead of 8 000 budgeted hours.”

The defence budget for the 2025/26 financial year is R55.94 billion.