Inside Politics Reporter
The Department of Defence and Military Veterans on Tuesday distanced itself from scathing public comments by the head of the navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, over the weekend.
At the Chief of the Navy’s Prestige Charity Ball held at St George’s Hotel in Tshwane, Lobese said that defence budget cuts reflected an “unpatriotic, and what appears to be a sell-out posture of defunding the SA Navy and SANDF in general”.
He also suggested that criminal networks could benefit from a weakened military.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the department said it had “noted with concern” Lobese’s comments, which “cast aspersions at the leadership of government”.
The department said defence minister Angie Motshekga regarded the remarks as “inappropriate, disingenuous and unfortunate” on an issue that was already receiving attention at multiple levels, including in parliament.
The department said Motshekga would be “taking appropriate steps to deal with
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