A political storm is brewing in Parliament over R813 million meant for allowances for soldiers deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is demanding answers, insisting that Defence Minister Angie Motshekga must explain what happened to the funds. The party claims that some within the Joint Standing Committee on Defence are shielding her from scrutiny.
DA MP Nicholas Gotsell has accused co-chairperson Malusi Gigaba of blocking the committee from summoning the minister, even after initially agreeing to write to her. Gotsell believes the money is “missing or unaccounted for” and says the minister has been avoiding direct accountability.
Gigaba, however, has strongly rejected the accusations, calling them baseless and illogical. He insists that decisions in the committee are made collectively and that there is a plan to review the DRC deployment in full — but only after the withdrawal is complete and a final report is ready. He also pointed out that an unusual budget process this year has delayed meetings.
The ANC’s Thokozile Sokhanyile has backed Gigaba’s stance, saying the committee’s work is grounded in transparency and oversight, and that Gotsell knows full well the agreement was to wait for the withdrawal before presenting the report.
Motshekga has also defended herself, saying she respects Parliament’s oversight role and always follows proper procedures when she cannot attend meetings due to Cabinet duties. She called the DA’s stance a distortion aimed at political point-scoring.
But Gotsell remains unconvinced, arguing that Motshekga rarely attends and that both she and Gigaba are failing in their duty to ensure urgent accountability. The DA has now formally called for an immediate meeting so the minister can explain where the money is — especially after the SANDF’s own chief of joint operations said in May that the funds were being “held onto” until troops returned.
“The committee must act now,” Gotsell insisted, “to uncover the truth, restore trust in Parliament’s oversight, and ensure our soldiers get the answers they deserve.”