Defence & military veterans minister Angie Motshekga says financial constraints continue to hamper her department’s operations and it will have to reprioritise to meet its constitutional obligations.
Once respected in the region, the defence force is now struggling to meet its commitments to the country and the region.
Poor equipment, lack of maintenance and little investment in new technology has resulted in low morale in the force.
According to an article on defenceWeb, the air force is facing a severe operational crisis due to budget cuts, maintenance backlogs and a shortage of spare parts that has led to a significant decline in aircraft availability and overall operational readiness.
Another report indicates that only a small fraction of air force aircraft are operational, with some estimates suggesting less than 20% serviceability.
Delivering the budget vote in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Motshekga acknowledged the operational limitations imposed by the fiscal environment.
She confirmed that R36.7bn, about 64% of the defence allocation, had been set aside for compensation of employees, leaving less than R12bn for operational deployment, equipment maintenance and capital acquisitions.
“In spite of our ongoing financial constraints, which badly affect our planning and operations, we will continue to reprioritise and do more with the little we have at our disposal,” the minister said.
“Key to this reprioritisation is putting the soldier first,” she said, referring to a renewed focus on personnel welfare, including upgraded infrastructure for selected model units and improved deployment conditions.
She outlined the department’s strategic response to these constraints, including the development of three draft policy documents: the future defence capstone policy concept; the military capstone strategising concept; and the future military strategy 2025-55.
These were under review. The SA National Security Secretariat was also reassessing the 2015 defence review to determine the requirements for a sustainable and modern defence force, she said.
The department has tabled a combined budget of R58.06bn for the 2025/26 financial year. Of this amount, R57.18bn was allocated to the department of defence and R878m to that of military veterans.
The department has committed to modernising its human resource profile and internal systems, she said.
The defence force’s human resource plan for the 2025 medium-term expenditure framework outlines a phased approach to building a rejuvenated, cost-efficient force.
Operational allocations include R2.56bn for the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (SamiDRC), R2.773bn for accommodation and municipal services, and R1.46bn for Armscor.
Additional funding include R480m for maritime defence system maintenance, R300m for emergency repairs, and R200m for border safeguarding vehicles and technology.
SA’s assessed contribution to the Sadc for the SamiDRC deployment amounts to R487m.
Support programmes
The department of military veterans continued to expand its socioeconomic support programmes, the minister said.
In 2025/26, R158m was allocated to veteran pensions, with additional funding directed towards housing, healthcare, education and heritage initiatives. However, demand continued to exceed available resources.
By the current financial year, more than 18,000 pension applications remained pending, and nearly 19,000 veterans were expected to require healthcare subsidies.
In a statement issued on July 9, the department acknowledged concerns raised by about 300 veterans regarding delays in pension disbursements.
It confirmed that the regulations governing the pension benefit were under review due to budgetary constraints.
“Once this process is complete, the department will resume the rollout of the military veterans pension, ensuring that deserving military veterans receive the financial assistance they are entitled to,” the statement reads.
Since the benefit’s implementation in November 2023, 4,378 veterans have received payments.
Education support remained a key component of the department’s mandate.
In 2023/24, 3,690 learners and students received assistance at a cost of R135m. Preliminary figures for 2024/25 indicated support for 2,738 students, with more than 100 graduates.
Over the past three audited financial years, more than 11,500 learners and students have benefited from the programme.
Efforts to improve benefit delivery include collaboration with the presidential task team on military veterans to verify the national database.
During the debate, Mzikayise Ntshingila (MK) criticised the defence force’s declining operational capacity and delays in benefits delivery.
“Our soldiers deserve maintenance, not malfunction. They deserve equality, not bureaucratic neglect.”
He also questioned the department’s commitment to transformation, citing the lack of disaggregated data on women and people with disabilities.
Carl Niehaus (EFF) rejected the budget in its current form. He cited the return of R2bn to the Treasury as evidence of mismanagement and criticised the department’s failure to address underfunding in border security and disaster response.
“This budget is a national disgrace. It fails our soldiers, veterans, and our whole nation,” he said.
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