As the Finance Minister is set to deliver his budget speech in March, concerns over the country’s military budget are now growing.
The recent deaths of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers in clashes between Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) forces and M23 rebels come after years of warnings from civil groups, unions, and political organisations about the SANDF’s declining capacity due to budget cuts.
The South African National Defence Force has come under much scrutiny in recent months as it sustained fatalities and casualties during its peacekeeping operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The SANDF has about 70 000 personnel and boots on the ground both domestically and across the region.
“It’s not just in Congo, soldiers are assisting zama zama, protest, power, building bridges, etc…limit can stretch before break,” a defence analyst says.
Over the past five years, South Africa has slashed its military spending by R9 billion.
“In SA, on 10 Oct 2024, the SA Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military, what is very important and crucial is the impact that budget cuts might have on the effective operation of the military itself. Veterans raised a concern about budget cuts in SA, on the defence force,” says Prof Godfrey Maringira from Sol Plaatjie University.
South Africa’s military spending is among the lowest in its GDP category. Countries with similar economies, such as Colombia, Chile, and Singapore, spend three to five times more on defence.
“Cutting the budget to the military could limit the efficiency in the long term because they may be equipment available that they have, but maintenance will be a problem in the long term,” Maringira added.
“When we did the defense review in 2011, it was 50 percent underfunded and gone worse, by now should be spending way more,” a defence analyst adds.
The shrinking budget has led to concerns over military readiness, equipment maintenance, and operational capacity.
“The SANDF hasn’t had the budget to maintain, most of the aircraft are grounded, and ships safe to see but can’t operate, if go to the same. Its spills go over to training, can’t learn, Griffins don’t have weapons. That’s problem on underfunding,” a defence analyst explains.
“South Africa National Defence Force has been stretched in its deployments; remember deployments for peace operations are very costly, but also deployment in SA itself are also costly,” Maringira adds.
With the Finance Minister set to release the national budget soon, the recent military deployment in the DRC highlights the growing urgency for increased defense funding to secure South Africa’s safety and sovereignty.
