Tuesday, 9 September 2025

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes the disdainful manner in which the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans and Minister Finance have treated the critical oversight work of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans. This blatant incompetence from members of the Executive branch represents a direct assault on parliamentary democracy, and our national defence institutions.

For context, the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, in the seventh administration, has inherited and prioritised grave concerns from the sixth administration regarding the historic over-expenditure on the Cost of Employment (COE) within the SANDF, coupled with the alarming lack of force rejuvenation. The SANDF’s personnel is ageing at an unacceptable rate, rendering the force ineffective and out of compliance with international standards for military readiness.

Moreover, the COE has spiralled out of control, devouring a disproportionate share of the defence budget and leaving scant resources for essential equipment, training, and operational capabilities. This imbalance flies in the face of international norms, where defence spending is balanced to ensure a sustainable, agile, and youthful force capable of defending our borders and participating in peacekeeping missions.

In a proactive bid to address this deepening crisis, the Portfolio Committee convened a pivotal meeting between the Department of Defence (DOD) and the National Treasury (NT). The objective was clear: to forge a path towards sustainable personnel structures, remuneration systems, and overall fiscal responsibility within the SANDF. What unfolded during that meeting, however, was nothing short of a national embarrassment. In full view of committee members and the public, officials from the DOD and NT engaged in open, conflictual exchanges, hurling accusations and displaying a total lack of consensus on how to proceed.

It became painfully evident that the NT’s proposals to curtail COE relative to other expenditures in the SANDF had been repeatedly ignored by the DOD. Conversely, the NT appeared unwilling or unprepared to heed the legitimate concerns raised by SANDF officials about the operational imperatives of maintaining a robust defence force. This is a recipe for disaster as the SANDF teeters on the edge of collapse, with an ageing workforce that compromises our ability to respond to threats, both domestic and international.

Recognising the urgency, the Portfolio Committee issued a stern directive: the DOD and NT must collaborate to develop a comprehensive proposal addressing the COE over-expenditure and outlining a new Human Resources (HR) strategy for force rejuvenation. This proposal was to be tabled at a joint meeting, with both the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans and the Minister of Finance present alongside their teams and on the 8^th of August 2025, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee formally wrote to these ministers, requesting their availability for this crucial briefing.

A month has elapsed since that correspondence, yet, in a shocking display of contempt for parliamentary processes, the ministers have only now deigned to respond. On the 5^th of September 2025, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans sent a letter informing the committee of his unavailability, while on the 8^th of September 2025, the Minister of Finance followed suit with a similar missive. This is an arrogant dismissal of the committee’s authority and the pressing national crisis at hand and is not the first time that the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans has stood up meetings of the Portfolio Committee on Defence as well as the Joint Standing Committee on Defence.

The EFF condemns this behavior in the strongest possible terms. These ministers have shown a complete disregard for the oversight role of Parliament, treating the Portfolio Committee as an inconvenient afterthought, thereby jeopardising the future of the SANDF.

The EFF, therefore, demands immediate and severe reprimand of both ministers by the Speaker of the National Assembly for this unacceptable conduct and their disdainful reaction to the committee’s urgent intervention. Furthermore, we call upon President Cyril Ramaphosa to institute disciplinary action against these errant members of his Executive.

The EFF will not tolerate the ongoing arrogance and incompetence that threatens to destroy the SANDF. We stand with the men and women in uniform who deserve a rejuvenated, well-funded force capable of fulfilling its mandate. If these ministers cannot rise to the occasion, they must step aside.

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