SANDF’s R800 Million in “Missing” Allowances

Statement by Nicholas Gotsell MP – DA Member on the Select Committee on Security & Justice:

After almost a year, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has demanded answers to the missing R813.3 million allocated for our troops deployed under the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC). We have been sidelined, dismissed, and undermined by a Defence Minister who preferred attending military parades in Russia over accounting to Parliament. We have been blocked by ANC committee chairpersons, more interested in protecting the Minister than in protecting our courageous soldiers.

Tomorrow morning at 9am, the truth will no longer be buried. The Joint Standing Committee on Defence will convene to address the unresolved questions surrounding the R813 million allocated to troop deployment allowances, funds meant for the brave men and women who risked their lives on foreign soil yet returned to empty bank accounts and broken promises.

Let us be clear about what has transpired. In May 2025, Parliament was informed by the SANDF that soldiers’ money was being kept “in their accounts back home.” Yet soldiers confirmed they had not been paid or had been short-paid. By September 2025, the SANDF claimed all allowances had finally been paid, while simultaneously admitting an internal investigation into discrepancies was still underway. To date, we still await the results of the internal investigation. Soldiers, unions, and families confirmed as recently as August 2025 that certain allowances had still not been received.

The DA will demand a full breakdown of the R813.3 million, including proof that every cent has reached our troops, full disclosure of the internal investigation findings, and accountability for conflicting statements issued by the Department of Defence.

This meeting cannot descend into vague reassurances and polished statements. Our troops deserve to know, where is their money, and when will our soldiers be paid what they are owed?