By Johnathan Paoli
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called out Defence Minister Angie Motshekga on her failure to provide a long-awaited report concerning transparency and accountability within her department, following the Auditor-General’s recent damning report.
DA security and justice committee member, Nicholas Gotsell, said on Thursday that he has formally reached out to the National Council of Provinces chair Refile Mtsweni-Tsipane, urging her to ensure that the minister fulfils her obligation to report to Parliament.
“The DA insists that immediate accountability is crucial for the safety and security of the nation,” Gotsell said.
During a NCOP session early last month, Motshekga faced tough questioning from the DA regarding the state of the SA National Defence Force.
She dismissed concerns raised by the party as “exaggeration”, despite clear evidence presented by Gotsell from a recent oversight visit.
Gotsell pointed out that the South African Navy currently has no combat-ready vessels and faced challenges due to an ineffective Armscor, a claim Motshekga vehemently disputed.
Further compounding these issues was that the navy’s operational sea hours have plummeted from 12,000 in 2018/19 to just 2,770 last year.
Meanwhile, the air force’s capability is severely compromised, lacking strategic airlift capacity and experiencing a significant decline in flying hours.
Gotsell said these deficiencies left the country’s borders increasingly vulnerable to threats such as piracy and poaching.
During the same session, Motshekga acknowledged the dire financial state of her department, saying it was currently engaging with the Treasury to prevent a possible system collapse
Moreover, the SANDF’s announcement of establishing a “Space Command” to enhance multi-domain warfare capabilities appeared misplaced in light of the existing resource constraints and pressing operational need. He said.
In light of these developments, Gotsell said his party has formally requested the Select Committee on Security and Justice chair Jane Seboletswe Mananiso, to compel Motshekga to clarify the rationale behind her department’s spending decisions amidst budget shortfalls.
He said that faced with a defence crisis and the imminent risk of system collapse, it was imperative that “we demand strong, level-headed leadership, discipline, and austerity”, he said.
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