Why SANDF’s future is weak: Experts say force is ‘sadly on same path as Eskom, SAA’

With the SA National Defence Force’s (SANDF) 14 000 troops showcasing their military might with Exercise Vuk’uhlome in Northern Cape’s Lohatla, defence experts yesterday identified budget constraints and the lack of new, modernised equipment as hampering the force from unleashing its full fire power.

The SANDF’s Distinguished Visitors’ Day has this month been attended by industry players, including dignitaries such as military veterans, the chief of Russia’s land forces and army heads from Angola, Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Ghana.

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Daniel du Plessis, director of Milkor – SA’s defence and aerospace company – said the SANDF had capabilities when it comes to training, adhering to doctrines and protocols, “but budgetary constraints have led to visible weaknesses, with few exercises that can be done”.

This, said Du Plessis, has limited the SANDF to display its full fire power. “It is time to revisit the budget and see how the SANDF can defend SA’s sovereignty.

It is ‘fixable’

“Because there are sound doctrines and protocols, I believe it is a matter that is fixable. “As the private defence industry, we don’t only provide military equipment abroad, we also keep up-to-date with modern technologies worldwide, exposing the SANDF leadership and the entire defence cluster to new, available technologies,” said Du Plessis.

“The SANDF is doing peace-keeping operations in some parts of Africa – vital for the stability of the continent. “We need to take a close look at which equipment can be implemented, how well the training can be adapted to the new technologies and how the budget can be structured.

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“The Americans, who spend nearly R15 trillion, have perfected the model, maintaining and acquiring new technologies,” said Du Plessis.

“Fighting insurgencies, terrorism, piracy and smuggling of wild life in Africa can win us strategic allies, vital for our economy. To do this, the SANDF needs newer equipment and a budget.” Defence analyst Helmoed-Römer Heitman, said South Africa could no longer be compared to “countries that take defence seriously”.

Lacking funds

“We have good equipment but have lacked the funds to maintain it – let alone modernise or upgrade it – with most now nonoperational,” said Heitman.

“There are also major capability gaps in maritime patrol and airlift. “We have many outstanding officers and a lot more who are simply good, but there are still some who are dangerously incompetent but somehow stay and are even promoted.

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“Bottom line: we have mostly good people but are no longer fully combat effective. No fault of the soldiers; there is simply a limit to what you can do without money.”

Heitman said the defence industry was “a leader in a few sectors and world-class in more”.

“Much of that has now been lost. Foreign-owned companies in SA are properly funded, managed and are still world-class. “Denel is close to dying and that will affect others.

“A key problem is that the SANDF lacks funds to buy or even upgrade equipment – leading to very few local orders. That makes foreign forces reluctant to buy from us.

Poor decision-making

“Added to this are delays and weird decisions by the NCACC (National Conventional Arms Control Committee), hampering exports, with the prognosis being poor,” said Heitman.

“No-one in Cabinet, other than the defence ministers, understand how a defence force works or what it needs.

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“The SANDF is sadly on the same path as Eskom, SAA, railways, with nothing much the minister or the soldiers can do about it. And we will sooner or later, pay the price.

“Wars and lower order threats do not give advance warning. Look at how Europe got caught flat-footed by the Russian invasions of Georgia and Ukraine.”