Dear Editor
The DA welcomes the strong statement by Dakota Legoete MP, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, calling for urgent action over the non-payment of allowances to SANDF members deployed to the DRC under Operation Thiba.
The DA supports both Chairperson Legoete’s concern and the concern for the welfare of soldiers; however, the bigger question, which concerns Parliament’s oversight function, remains deliberately unaddressed: What has happened to the full R813.3 million that was allocated by Treasury specifically for compensation?
This is not merely an issue of delayed payments; it is now clear that:
- The Minister of Defence, Angie Motshekga, has acknowledged that the allowances were not paid in full despite previously insisting that it was.
- The SANDF continues to admit to unresolved discrepancies and has launched an internal investigation.
- R173.5 million of the compensation budget was quietly diverted to Operation Prosper, a domestic deployment unrelated to Operation Thiba, which raises serious questions about financial mismanagement and accountability within the Department; and
- The Department of Defence is continuously diverting funding for critical line items, such as troop compensation, to enrich other countries, including Cuba, and to maintain luxuries like the President’s aircraft.
Whilst we welcome the fact that at least one Parliamentary Chairperson is stepping up and taking a public stance, we call on the Co-Chairpersons of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence to finally take note and stop shielding the Minister from scrutiny.
Despite continued pressure by the DA to summons the Minister to appear before the Committee to explain the missing millions, Malusi Gigaba, the co-chairperson of the joint committee, has continuously denied the existence of the troops’ grievances, ignored the serious contradictions by the Minister and the Department insofar as compensation is concerned and refused to accede to the DA’s request to call her to account.
For the sake of both the country’s troops and its taxpayers, the DA calls on Mr Gigaba to reflect on Mr Legoete’s statement and realise that the time has come to convene the JSCD without delay and to summon Minister Motshekga to:
- Account for the conflicting statements issued by her and the Department.
- Explain why compensation funds were diverted; and
- Clarify what happened to the R813 million, why troops are still unpaid, and when the Department plans to report back to Parliament in full.
Parliament must act.
The DA has therefore already escalated this matter to the House Chairperson of Parliament, and we expect urgent intervention. The soldiers who served our country deserve answers. The public deserves transparency.
Regards
Nicholas Gotsell MP
DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice