Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s absence from a Friday 6 March Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) meeting, where she was due to present the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) 2025 annual report, has raised the ire of political parties and the JSCD.
Ntshavheni, who serves as Chairperson of the NCACC, was due to present the NCACC’s 2025 annual report and provide feedback on outstanding issues such as the issues facing the South African defence industry when applying for import and export permits.
However, the Minister did not attend the meeting, citing an incorrect invitation format from the committee secretariat. However, Committee Secretary Nandipha Maxhegwana said two official invitations had been sent, both specifying that the meeting was to be held physically.
While the Deputy Chairperson of the NCACC, Deputy Minister Andries Nel, and Deputy Defence and Military Veterans Minister Bantu Holomisa were in the meeting, it was agreed that the 2025 NCACC annual report would be presented when Ntshavheni was present.
Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga was also absent from Friday’s meeting. She reportedly indicated that she was in Gauteng and would be able to participate virtually, but committee members insisted she attend physically.
In a statement on Friday, the JCSD said the unwillingness of the NCACC over time has made it difficult for the Joint Standing Committee on Defence to receive its presentation on the annual report. “Accountability is sacrosanct, and the unwillingness of the NCACC to present performance of the committee is both concerning and unacceptable,” JCSD Co-Chairperson Phiroane Phala said.
He emphasised that it was made clear Ntshavheni must appear physically to give account on the operations of the committee.
“The committee was also of the view that the meeting was necessary following engagements with the Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association of South Africa (AMD), which highlighted concerns with the NCACC and its irregular meetings and inability to approve applications in accordance with the spirit and provisions of the National Conventional Arms Control Act. The challenges with the NCACC, according to the committee, have a direct impact on the defence industry’s ability to meaningfully contribute to economic growth. The committee resolved that this meeting must be scheduled urgently,” the JSCD statement said.
The Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF’s) Carl Niehaus, a member of the JSCD, expressed “profound outrage and condemnation” at Ntshavheni’s “deliberate absence” from Friday’s meeting. “This marks the fourth time the Minister has absconded from her constitutional obligations, demonstrating utter contempt for Parliament’s oversight role and the democratic principles enshrined in our Constitution,” he said.
“Minister Ntshavheni’s repeated no-shows — such as the cancellations in January and February 2026 — have escalated into a full-blown crisis of accountability,” Niehaus said, adding that the EFF views the refusal to engage borders on criminality, as it obstructs the Committee’s ability to scrutinize the NCACC’s operations and ensure compliance with the National Conventional Arms Control Act.
The South African defence industry has lodged complaints about the NCACC’s dysfunctionality and that of its secretariat, the Directorate for Conventional Arms Control (DCAC). During presentations to the JSCD last month, industry stakeholders highlighted irregular NCACC meetings (only seven in 2025, with none from November onward), delayed permit approvals, prolonged backlogs, poor communication, lost applications, staff shortages, lack of standard procedures, and dysfunctional IT systems — including the permit database being offline since early January 2026.
“These failures have crippled an industry vital to South Africa’s economy, leading to business closures, massive job losses, and a haemorrhaging of export opportunities,” Niehaus said. “Compounding this is the JSCD’s expressed grave concerns over the NCACC’s failure to properly execute guiding legislation. Serious allegations persist that South Africa’s lax controls have resulted in contraventions of international arms control measures.”
In the JSCD meeting, various political party representatives argued that Ntshavheni must be summoned to appear without further delay, and her continued absence should trigger serious consequences, including potential contempt of Parliament charges.
“The arrogance and disdain for this committee and oversight by this minister cannot continue. We have the Aerospace, Maritime and Defence (AMD) Industries Association of South Africa with critical issues,” the Democratic Alliance’s Chris Hattingh said of Ntshavheni.
He also said Motshekga’s absence “cannot be tolerated. It cannot be allowed to continue in this fashion.” He accused the minister of displaying arrogance towards Parliament and for establishing a pattern of avoiding oversight.
Friday’s meeting also received an update on the readiness of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to deploy across the country to support police in fighting crime, especially gangsterism and illegal mining.
The presentation by SANDF Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Siphiwe Lucky Sangweni, provided details on the operational framework guiding the deployment but was criticised by the JSCD for not providing enough information.
The committee raised the alarm over the seeming lack of collaboration between the South African National Defence Force and the South African Police Service in devising an operational plan for the crime-fighting deployment.
Niehaus also bemoaned the fact that a scheduled meeting to receive the long-awaited “Journey to Greatness” document — a blueprint for revitalising the SANDF into a fit-for-purpose force — has been indefinitely postponed again.
“This is a pattern of having no strategic plan about how to deal with serious underfunding and neglect, with the SANDF facing real-term budget decreases, unfunded long-term plans, and chronic resource shortages that render turnaround strategies unimplementable. The SANDF is spiralling into collapse due to these systemic failures,” the EFF representative said.
“These failures indicate an executive that is not only dysfunctional, but also unprepared to engage constructively with Parliament to address the SANDF’s existential crisis. If unchecked, the SANDF will deteriorate beyond repair, compromising our country’s national security and sovereignty.”
The EFF called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to take urgent note and compel his executive to partner with the legislature, or face punitive action and serious consequences, including dismissal. “The time for excuses is over; accountability must prevail,” he concluded.
