Tuesday, 20 May 2025

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) strongly condemns the arbitrary cancellation of a critical Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans meeting, scheduled for 21 May 2025 at the Armscor Dockyard in Simon’s Town. This meeting was set to address the alarming dysfunctionality of the South African Navy, including the inoperability of numerous naval vessels and significant operational challenges at the Armscor Dockyard. The unilateral decision by the Committee Chairperson, Honourable Legoetle, to cancel this meeting without consultation undermines parliamentary oversight and raises serious questions about efforts to shield the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Ms. Angie Motshekga, from scrutiny.

The Chairperson’s justification for the cancellation—a supposed scheduling conflict with the budget presentation on the same day—lacks credibility, as the meeting was planned for the morning, with no overlap. The EFF rejects the Chairperson’s invocation of Rule 158(2)(b) of the National Assembly Rules to justify this decision. While the rule permits rescheduling, it does not grant carte blanche to undermine the Committee’s critical oversight role. This action is clearly not in the interest of the Committee’s functioning and appears designed to obstruct accountability.

Equally concerning is the persistent absence of Minister Motshekga from oversight meetings, including the deferred Joint Standing Committee on Defence meeting on 16 May 2025 and the now-cancelled Portfolio Committee meeting. Her reported international travel during this period suggests a deliberate pattern of evading accountability for the ongoing dysfunction within the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the Department of Defence (DOD). The Chairperson’s actions, as a member of the African National Congress (ANC), further fuel suspicions of an orchestrated effort to protect a senior ANC member from scrutiny.

The EFF demands immediate clarity on the following:

1. The true reasons behind the arbitrary cancellation of the Portfolio Committee meeting.
2. The Minister’s repeated failure to attend Portfolio Committee and Joint Standing Committee meetings.
3. The lack of accountability for the Chairperson’s unilateral decisions and the Minister’s conduct.

We further call on the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chair of Chairs to investigate these irregularities, including the arbitrary changes to the Committee’s programme and the Minister’s apparent avoidance of oversight processes. These actions erode public confidence in the Department of Defence and undermine the constitutional mandate of parliamentary oversight.

The EFF will not stand idly by while the SANDF and DOD deteriorate under ineffective leadership and evasive governance. We demand transparency, accountability, and urgent action to address the crisis within our defence forces.

ISSUED BY ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Sinawo Thambo (National Spokesperson) 072 629 7422

Thembi Msane (National Spokesperson) 061 467 8169

Andiswa Madikazi (Parliament Media Liason) 069 516 4924

Thato Lebyane (Media Inquiries) 078 563 1581