By Thapelo Molefe
National Treasury has rejected claims that no funding has been released for the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) Operation Prosper, saying Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana approved the release of funds on 6 August.
The Treasury issued a statement on Sunday following a News24 report published on Friday in which Major-General Godfrey Thulare told MPs that the SANDF had not received any of the R823 million allocated for the deployment.
Treasury said the minister approved the release of funding in terms of section 6(1)(c) of the Appropriation Act.
“This provision was the best available mechanism to ensure the earliest release of funds given the timing of the announcement,” the Treasury said.
Treasury said the Appropriation Act had been assented to on 16 July, giving the finance minister the legal authority to release the funds.
The Treasury said it was concerned that its response to News24’s media query was not reflected in the article.
“This would have afforded National Treasury the opportunity to place on record that funding had been released contrary to the statements made by Major-General Thulare and in line with the relevant legal prescripts,” it said.
Thulare, who is the SANDF commander of the joint operational headquarters overseeing Operation Prosper, told MPs on Friday that the military had not received “a single cent” of the R823 million.
“I think it would be best to ask National Treasury if you have given the defence force the R823 million? If they say no, you ask, why not?” Thulare said.
He said the lack of funding was creating serious logistical challenges for commanders responsible for deploying soldiers across five provinces.
Operation Prosper involves the deployment of 2,200 soldiers to assist police in combating gangsterism and illegal mining in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Free State and North West.
The deployment was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in February and its authorised period began on 1 March and runs until 31 March 2027.
The funding dispute has emerged amid concerns about the conditions under which soldiers are operating, including unpaid allowances, logistical challenges and allegations of inadequate equipment and accommodation.
At an oversight visit to Ysterplaat airbase in Cape Town on Friday, MPs heard complaints from soldiers about unpaid allowances and other difficulties.
ActionSA representative Dereleen James said soldiers told her some had gone without allowances for three months.
The concerns followed earlier warnings from the Department of Defence that it needed funding for the deployment.
The department’s acting chief financial officer, Edem Abotsi, told Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations on 5 August that the department had written to Treasury on 1 April and 28 May requesting funding and warning about risks if the money was not approved.
Treasury said it had also written to the SANDF twice offering assistance with its funding challenges.
“National Treasury has twice written to the South African National Defence Force offering support in dealing with their broader funding challenges but has yet to receive a response,” it said.
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