Embattled SANDF needs more ammunition in form of funds

One of the constitutionally mandated missions of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) is “support to the civil power” – in emergency situations where police and civil authorities need assistance.

These can include anything from floods and fires to civil unrest. In the case of the former, SANDF assets, including helicopters, have been used to rescue people from flooded areas.

In the case of the latter, armed troops and even armoured vehicles have been deployed to deter looting and criminality, as happened in July last year.

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What is worrying is that our defence forces are now routinely called upon for tasks which should be left to ordinary policing.

The latest of these deployments – of 2 700 SANDF personnel – was authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa last week.

Apart from the worrying development of deploying soldiers – trained in the use of lethal force – in situations requiring restrained policing – there is the reality that the SANDF simply does not have the budget for these tasks.

It has been run into the ground financially and can barely protect our borders, or work with our neighbours to counter mutual threats.

If we are serious about our defence force, we need to take its funding seriously.