By Thapelo Molefe
Co-Chairperson of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Malusi Gigaba, has strongly rejected claims by Democratic Alliance MP Nicholas Gotsell that the committee is shielding Defence Minister Angie Motshekga from accounting for R813 million allocated for SA National Defence Force deployment allowances.
Describing Gotsell’s comments as “unfounded, disingenuous and illogical,” Gigaba said such statements misrepresented the committee’s transparent and consultative operations.
“While Mr Gotsell is free to escalate any matter to the National Assembly hierarchy, he is not entitled to make baseless, illogical and false claims,” he said in a statement.
Gigaba emphasised that openness and accountability were the foundation of the committee’s work.
“The chairperson does not make unilateral decisions but acts in consultation and by consensus with all committee members,” he added.
The rebuttal follows a media statement issued by Gotsell on Monday, in which he accused Gigaba of shielding Motshekga from appearing before the committee to account for R813 million in allegedly missing SANDF deployment allowances.
Gotsell claimed that the minister had not attended Parliament “for months” to account for the Democratic Republic of Congo deployment.
He alleged that soldiers deployed to the region were short paid, had to buy their own food and survived on as little as R22.91 per day, despite Southern African Development Community (SADC) funding meant to cover operational costs.
He further claimed office-based staff received full allowances meant for frontline troops and the SANDF had failed to provide clarity on where the rest of the money went.
Gotsell stated that the DA had written to the National Assembly House Chairperson to escalate the issue, accusing Gigaba of a “sudden u-turn” after initially agreeing to write to the Minister.
“What is the SANDF and Minister Motshekga trying to hide? And why is Gigaba protecting a minister presiding over such chaos?” he asked.
In response, Gigaba pointed to the committee’s recent actions following the deaths of 14 SANDF members in the DRC saying the committee held an urgent joint meeting with the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans to receive briefings on the incident, the deployment’s status and the phased withdrawal plan as resolved by the SADC Heads of State.
He said that following these engagements, the committee, with Gotsell’s participation, resolved that a full report detailing the mandate, costs and operational specifics of the deployment would be tabled in Parliament once the withdrawal was complete.
“It is thus perplexing that Mr Gotsell would, without warning, undermine a decision in which he actively participated,” Gigaba said.
“Accountability rooted in political posturing rather than principle undermines the true purpose of that process.”
He also cited the complexities of scheduling meetings during the 2025 budget cycle and noted that the minister has attended many committee sessions or provided formal apologies with appropriate delegation when unavailable.
“Mr Gotsell… should be fully aware of the complexities involved in arranging meetings of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, particularly given the overlapping schedules of both Houses of Parliament,” Gigaba said.
The Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans also refuted the DA’s allegations.
It defended Motshekga’s record of accountability, stating that she had met her parliamentary obligations and had been absent from a recent meeting only because she was attending the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Session in Berlin, a key global platform on defence cooperation.
“I have always respected the oversight role of Parliament and remain fully committed to transparency and accountability. Where I am unable to attend due to executive obligations, proper procedures are followed and appropriate representation is ensured,” Motshekga said.
Both Gigaba and the Ministry reaffirmed their commitment to transparency and oversight.
“I reject any suggestion that I would act contrary to the Constitution or the rules of Parliament,” Gigaba concluded.
“This commitment remains unchanged, and the review [of the DRC deployment] will be scheduled once the report is available.”
The ministry added that continued misrepresentations undermined public trust.
“Assertions to the contrary are not only misleading but also irresponsible and damaging to public trust in our institutions,” it said.
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