Note to Editors: The following remarks were delivered by RISE Mzansi National Leader, Songezo Zibi MP, during the debate on Budget Votes 23 & 26 (Defence and Military Veterans).
Presiding Officer
Committee Chairperson
Minister and Deputy Minister
Good afternoon
I rise to reject this budget on behalf of the men and women in uniform on account of being wholly inadequate for the mandate the armed forces are expected to fulfil. Although I will shortly refer to some data now, the reality is that you do not need to be a military expert to see that the SANDF’s facilities and vehicles have fallen into disrepair.
The problem with underfunding the armed forces is that it is always a deadly decision. People will die from all of this, and I believe they already do. Our armed forces have a significant mandate that involves border protection, regional support for the SAPS, peacekeeping and so on.
Just in the period between 2012 and now, we have in real terms cut the defence budget by over 50%. We spend 0.7% of GDP on defence, far from the global average of 2.2% of GDP. And it shows. There is no universe where you take the knife to the lifeblood of the defence forces and you retain its competence and strength.
At 40-years-old, the average age of infantry level personnel is too high. The men and women who are expected to fight the actual on the ground battles are too old. These soldiers should not, on average, be older than 25.
In 2020 your predecessor gave the average ages for the different rank groups as rifleman (34), lance corporal (44), corporal (46), sergeant (48), staff sergeant (51), warrant officer - class one (53), warrant officer - class two (55), second lieutenant (33), lieutenant (36), captain (41), major (46) and lieutenant colonel (50).
We are putting ourselves at a distinct disadvantage if we continue down this path.
Perhaps it is the stain of the Arms Deal. Perhaps it is our history that makes us so reluctant to want a well-equipped, professional army we can be proud of. But we must decide whether we want defence force or not. We cannot be half-committed to this, pretending that we have a defence force that can defend the country when we do not.
I want to suggest to this House that if we to reduce the spending on the armed forces, then let us do so consciously by reducing its mandate too. Doing the opposite amounts to criminal negligence.
The people that work in the armed forces are workers with rights. They are entitled to the best safety mechanisms and conditions we can afford. When we give them a stretched mandate without resources, we are deliberately putting their lives in danger, and that is unconscionable.
South Africa has many needs including people who cannot put food on the table. But we must make some decisions – and one of these is to decide whether or not we want defence force. If we do, let us fund it properly, or we reduce its mandate, or we just shut it down.
But I know this: we will one day regret the decision to defund the armed forces to the extent we have. We will need an army one day and realise we have none left – and there will be no quick fixes.
Ndiyabulela!