Thursday, 17 July 2025

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes the visit by Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, General Bantu Holomisa, to 1 Military Hospital in Thaba Tshwane today, and we unequivocally reject any attempt to reduce this visit to a mere photo opportunity or public relations exercise.

For nearly two decades, 1 Military Hospital has been a monument to gross mismanagement, corruption, and neglect, betraying the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), its veterans, and the South African public. Due to the dysfunctionality of 1 Military Hospital, numerous soldiers and military veterans referred to the facility have been denied critical treatment, with devastating consequences. Among them was Warrant Officer MP Mncube, who, on April 14, 2025, was denied admission and tragically passed away—a loss that underscores the human cost of this crisis.

Soldiers who served patriotically in the SAMIDRC mission in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, risking their lives for South Africa, have also been unable to receive the necessary treatment they deserve due to the hospital’s dysfunctional state—an utter disgrace and a shameful blot on the name of the SANDF and our country. The callous response of the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, to these tragedies is an outrage, reflecting a shameful disregard for those who serve our nation.

For over 20 years, 1 Military Hospital, designed to serve 500 beds and provide worldclass care to military personnel, veterans, and dignitaries, has been allowed to decay into a dysfunctional shell. The Repair and Maintenance Programme (RAMP), initiated in 1999 by the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), was intended to refurbish and maintain this critical facility. Instead, it has become a cesspool of corruption and incompetence, with over R431 million spent—R232 million initially and an additional R156 million during the 2010–2011 expansion—yielding no meaningful results.

Critical areas, including the first floor housing operating theatres, intensive care units, and casualty departments, have remained locked and non-functional since March 2011. This has forced the SANDF to outsource medical services at a staggering cost of over R1 billion by 2019/20, draining public funds while soldiers and veterans are turned away without care, leading to preventable deaths. During the oversight visit on 24 March 2025 by the Joint Standing Committee on Defence and the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, the EFF highlighted the catastrophic state of 1 Military Hospital, yet it took Deputy Minister Holomisa months to follow up.

The EFF calls on Deputy Minister Holomisa to use his visit to commit to the following immediate and deliberate actions: firstly, release the full Abacus report and the findings of the SIU and DPCI investigations to the public, ensuring swift prosecutions of all individuals implicated in the R156 million irregular expenditure. Secondly, establish an independent task force, comprising representatives from the DoD, DPWI, SIU, and civil society, to oversee the hospital’s refurbishment.

Thirdly, secure an increased defence budget of 1.5% of GDP, with ring-fenced funds for the estimated R1.4 billion needed to complete 1 Military Hospital’s refurbishment, prioritising critical areas. Fourth, reform the DoD’s Works Formation and DPWI’s procurement processes to prevent future project failures, while addressing the DMV’s dysfunction to ensure veterans receive reimbursements for outsourced care during the transition. Lastly, announce a clear timeline for the hospital’s refurbishment, with measurable milestones and regular progress reports to Parliament and the public.

The disaster of neglect, mismanagement, corruption, and ineptness at 1 Military Hospital, exemplified by the tragic loss of Warrant Officer M P Mncube, the denial of care to SAMIDRC soldiers, and Minister Motshekga’s callous response and lack of care, is not just a failure of infrastructure—it is a betrayal of our soldiers, veterans, and the South African people. The EFF will continue to champion this cause, as we have done through our oversight visits, parliamentary interventions, and public campaigns.

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