Moves are afoot to shift SA Army infantry soldiers deemed additional to structure (ATS) from combat units and replace them with “young, fit and combat ready MSD (military skills development) recruits” a Parliamentarian was informed.
During an October 2025 oversight visit to, among others, 15 SA Infantry (SAI) Battalion in Thohoyandou, Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentarian Chris Hattingh picked up there were 275 soldiers listed as being ATS on battalion personnel strength. Following up he wanted to know from Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga, among others, how the presence of ATS personnel impacted on operational readiness, training throughput, accommodation, messing, transport, overtime as well as standby and leave liabilities.
He was informed ATS personnel “are prioritised and placed in vacant posts, depending on availability” in SA Army annual placement seminars where a target of 10% is set, also dependent on availability and number of vacant posts.
In reply to another question, Hattingh was told members additional to structure are also addressed through natural attrition (retirements, resignations, and deaths), and the Mobility Exit Mechanism (MEM).
While ATS personnel moved from combat units such as 15 SAI are not seen as “active” they remain on the personnel strength of Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha’s command and are listed on the Plenary Defence Staff Council (PDSC) approved SA Army strength.
Of the 275 additional to structure members Hattingh referenced, he was told 67 members over 58 years old and awaiting retirement were transferred to SA Army units closer to their homes and families and the other 204 members were being transferred and placed at non-operational units due to other reasons.
Last September, thanks to a Parliamentary question, South Africans heard the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) had an “active” personnel strength of 69 392 across its four services – air force, army, military health and navy – as well as divisions such as human resources, intelligence, legal services and logistics among others in the Department of Defence (DoD).
The average age, DA Parliamentarian Athol Trollip was told is 39. This is for the regular force component which rises by 10 to 49 for the part-time – Reserve Force – component.
