Minister Thandi Modise: Defence Dept Budget Vote 2022/23

• Published date: 24 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

Introduction of the Debate on the Defence Budget Vote 2022 (Vote 23 and Vote 26) in the National Assembly, By Hon Thandi Ruth Modise, Minister for Defence and Military Veterans, Parliament, Cape Town

'A council was held; lots were cast who should walk up to the Master after supper that evening, and ask for more; and it fell to Oliver Twist.

Child as he was, he was desperate with hunger, and reckless with misery. He rose from the table; and advancing to the Master, basin and spoon in hand, said: somewhat alarmed at his own temerity:'

'Please, sir, I want some more.' From Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Greetings

Speaker of the National Assembly

Deputy Speaker, House Chairpersons of the National Assembly

Deputy Minister of Defence, Honourable Thabang Makwetla

Cabinet Colleagues and Deputy Ministers

Chairpersons and Members of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence

Honourable Members

Secretary for Defence, the Chief of the National Defence Force and the Director-General of the DMV

Chairpersons, CEOs and Heads of all entities of the Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans

Distinguished guests

Friends and fellow South Africans

Introductory Comments

Honourable Speaker,

In July 2021, South Africa found herself in the middle of civil unrest in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng Provinces. Properties and businesses were damaged and looted. The target areas were malls and business that were damaged and looted.

SANDF was in cooperation with SAPS, to quell these unrest and to restore law and order.

We deployed +/-15 000 members of the SANDF, to quell the unrest. Operation Proper was successful and was lauded by the citizens and business across the country.

Honourable Speaker,

During the SONA 2022, the President committed to the up-scaling of the Welisizwe Rural Bridges Programme to deliver ninety-six (96) bridges a year.

SANDF has assessed this need and has started to construct bridges in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State and North-West Provinces since 01 April 2022.

Honourable Speaker,

We were very grateful to accept the first of three multi-mission Warrior Class inshore patrol vessels into service on Wednesday 18 May 2022. This is the part of 'rejuvenating our patrol capacity. The SAS Sekhukhune will greatly assist in securing South Africa's maritime zones.

Reimbursement

Honourable Speaker,

Over recent years, SANDF has been called upon to support civil intervention to ensure the delivery of basic services to the citizens of our country.

We are contributing to African Peace Missions. We have assisted the North-West Province with health services, the Department of Water and Sanitation with the Vaal River clean-up project, the National Disaster Management Centre has called on SANDF to assist during the COVID-19 Pandemic and we are still involved in the Kwa-Zulu Natal flood relief.

The deployments speak to our responsibilities and there is no way we cannot be at the centre of saving lives.

These deployments also come at great cost to the equipment and funding of the SANDF. There is often little or no re-imbursement delivered. This puts SANDF under great pressure.

Hon Members will remember that we have a dire shortage of critical equipment currently, not to speak of future disasters and continuous climate change events, for example: tents, water purification and distribution systems are critically low. Serviceable air-frames and flying hours are also in critical state.

Honourable Speaker,

I must inform this House that the SANDF will be hard pressed to respond to critical events in other Provinces should the need arise. I state this with a very heavy heart - we are willing but we lack resources.

Unless there is a significant and intervention - the cupboard will remain bare.

4. Unpacking the defence dilemma

Honourable Speaker,

South Africa must continue to enlist both the hard power and soft power domains to mitigate all threats against the State, its National Interests and its People, including emerging 'borderless' and 'stateless' threats.

The decline in the performance of the South African economy has placed significant pressure on Government and households. It is becoming difficult to adequately meet all competing needs - this is fertile ground for instability.

The historical downward trend in the Defence Allocation has not abated. It is likely to continue to the detriment of the SANDF and the demise of the defence industry.

Defence planning has become primarily a budget-driven affair as opposed to a mandate-driven one. This means that our ability to deliver on our Constitutional Mandate ultimately compromises the successful conducting of military strategic missions in a sustainable manner.

Notwithstanding the recent discussions with the Parliamentary Committees on the desired Future Blue-Print Force Design, both the Force Design and Force Structure that we would prefer remains unaffordable. The big question is what should we do?

This dilemma, and the significant strain placed on the Defence and Defence-Related Industry, and our increasing reliance on foreign manufacturers...