Dear Editor
The Department of Defence’s 2025/26 Annual Performance Plan (APP) confirms what has long been clear: the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is in serious decline. It is crippled by outdated policy, weak leadership, and poor financial management.
Despite repeated promises, South Africa still has no updated, funded defence policy. The 2015 Defence Review (DR), meant to guide SANDF renewal, was never implemented. It now stands as a symbol of institutional failure. With no alternative, this outdated document remains the only point of reference for our Defence Force.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) believes action can no longer be delayed. We demand that a new Defence Review process must begin immediately. This must be led by a new White Paper, a vital step that takes years to complete and cannot be rushed. In the meantime, the overdue reassessment of the 2015 DR, promised by two ministers but never delivered, must be finalised and adopted to guide short-term action.
The latest APP under Minister Motshekga drops any clear timeline. References to a new White Paper are vague, with no visible urgency or progress. As a result, the SANDF is drifting without direction. No one can clearly define its size, purpose, or equipment needs. The force structure is bloated, with over 60% of the budget spent on personnel, leaving training, maintenance, and modernisation largely ignored for more than a decade.
This is not sustainable. The budget deficit, already at 43% based on outdated structures, continues to grow. There is no clear leadership, no plan before Cabinet, and no political will to fix the situation. Leadership responses are evasive, offering no real solutions.
The consequences are already visible. Failures in operations, such as those in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are not isolated incidents. They are the natural result of a degraded, under-supported force.
The SANDF is at a critical point. Without a new strategy, hard political choices, and real leadership, South Africa’s defence capability will continue to erode until it becomes irrelevant.
Regards
Chris Hattingh MP
DA Spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans