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SADI’s Steep, Sad Decline

Dear Editor

South Africa’s defence industry is in steep decline, suffering from years of neglect, poor leadership, and broken promises.

At the centre of this crisis is Defence Minister Angie Motshekga’s continued failure to take action, including her inability to deliver on a long-promised South African Defence Industry (SADI) Lekgotla.

This Lekgotla, first proposed under former Minister Thandi Modise, was meant to provide a path forward for the struggling sector. Despite formal commitments, including a written parliamentary assurance that it would be convened by 31 March 2025, no progress has been made.

The deadline has passed without any explanation, update, or new date. This silence is indefensible.
Parliamentary replies now cite vague reasons like the “non-availability of stakeholders” and “factors beyond control.” These excuses dodge responsibility and show a shocking lack of urgency from the Minister tasked with protecting a sector critical to national security and economic growth.

South Africa’s defence industry has been in decline for years. Revenue fell from R19.5 billion in 2016 to R12.5 billion in 2020. Exports have halved. Research and development has ground to a halt. Skilled professionals are leaving the industry. These are not just statistics, they represent lost jobs, stalled innovation, and a weakening of our sovereign capability.

Minister Motshekga met with defence leaders in August 2024 and again promised the Lekgotla would be held by March 2025. That promise, like so many before it, has been abandoned. While the Secretary for Defence now scrambles to salvage the process behind closed doors, the lack of ministerial leadership sends a chilling message to local industry, workers, and global partners.

The longer this continues, the greater the damage to our defence sector, job creation, and national security.

The DA demands that Minister Motshekga immediately break her silence, provide a public update, publish a binding date for the Lekgotla, and take full responsibility for the leadership vacuum in her department.

Regards

Chris Hattingh MP
DA Spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans

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