National Treasury has allocated over R2 billion in funding from the National Revenue Fund to defray the costs of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) peace mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a letter dated 12 July, Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana told newly appointed Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga that he authorised R2.1 billion from the National Revenue Fund to defray expenditure for the SANDF’s contribution to the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) through Operation Thiba.
“A report on the amounts so authorised will be submitted to Parliament and the Auditor-General and the expenditure will be included in the next adjustments budget (section 16(4) to (6) of the PFMA [Public Finance Management Act]).
“Furthermore, I have approved the inclusion of the expenditure in the 2024 Adjustment Appropriation Bill in terms of section 30(2)(d) of the PFMA to the amount of R750 million for the South African Development Community Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) through Operation Vikela,” Godongwana stated.
For her part, Godongwana requested Motshekga to curb irregular expenditure, particularly overspending on the compensation of employees, and retire eligible members of the SANDF and review Department of Defence cost drivers.
The finance minister cautioned that the Department of Defence has overspent its budget for the compensation of employees, leading to the accumulation of irregular expenditure totalling R10.1 billion. In addition, the department has incurred unauthorised expenditure of R2.9 billion in 2022/23 and there is a potential unauthorised expenditure of R3.5 billion in 2023/24. “These figures indicate that the department’s pressure on compensation of employees is unsustainable, as it is displacing funding for other departmental expenditures. This situation also poses a fiscal risk to the broader public finances.”
In her maiden defence and military veterans budget vote in Parliament on Monday 15 July, Motshekga said she was pleased to report that “in relation to our external deployments, Government has assisted the Department with funding for our operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique. I wish to thank my colleague Minister of Finance Godongwana in this regard.”
In her defence budget speech, Motshekga said, “some people have asked why our soldiers are deployed in Africa, the answer is simple, and it was given 30 years ago by our first Commander-in-chief, President Nelson Mandela. We need to keep contributing to peace and stability on the African Continent. Throughout the 30 years, our men and women in uniform have continuously been patriotic.”
“These are dangerous times. These are difficult times. We live in a world where the only constant is change itself. This is a world of increasing volatility, exacerbated by its ambiguity and complexity, characterised by a state of ‘troubled peace’. The role of the people’s National Defence Force has never been more important than it is right now, both here at home and on the continent. The demand upon this Defence Force is unceasing, and its members serve loyally and faithfully across all Arms of Service. Some have paid the ultimate price in the defence of our country’s sovereignty and our responsibility as peacekeepers and peace-builders in Africa,” she said.
The news of additional funding for SANDF peace missions came just as Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) called for securing proper funding for the SANDF as a matter of utmost urgency.
“The committee remains deeply concerned that the deployment of the SANDF, specifically its deployment as part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SAMIDRC) that remains unfunded,” the PCDMV stated days before Motshekga’s budget speech.
“The report of the committee indicates that the challenges of limited funding and lack of logistical support, continue to put the lives of members of the SANDF at risk. The committee has identified several critical areas that need immediate attention and that effective collaboration is essential to address funding and operational requirements. This includes not only proposals for engagement between the DOD and National Treasury, but also engagements within Parliament between the committee and other committees that include the Joint Standing Committee on Finance,” the Committee stated.
