Budget cuts in the Department of Defence over the next three years spelled disaster for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the implementation of the Defence Review, experts said yesterday.
The cuts could also threaten the SANDF’s peace missions.
While President Jacob Zuma’s announcement this week of the return in April of South African troops keeping the peace in Darfur in Sudan will ease the burden, there will still be increased pressure on defence spending.
United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa, himself a former military man, said the cuts clearly showed that the Defence Review approved by Parliament last year, had not yet been integrated into the systems of the SANDF.
The review — an assessment finalised last year that measures SA’s combat readiness and proposes what must be done about it — found that the SANDF was in a state of severe decline that would need immediate attention.
"I suspect that the DoD (Department of Defence) has not yet sat down with the National Treasury to determine the scale of budget increases for the SANDF," Gen Holomisa said, adding that the effect would not be good for SA’s peacekeeping operations.
Peacekeeping is a pillar in SA’s foreign policy in Africa and South African soldiers and Rooivalk helicopters have played a key role in stabilising the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with the defeat of some rebels in the area.
Local defence analyst Hëlmoed-Romer Heitman said the defence force was already lagging in what had been planned in terms of renewal of equipment.
He said the air force was almost 20% behind what was planned and noted there was no new money in the budget for urgently needed heavy-lift transport aircraft.
The aircraft are needed for the rapid deployment of peacekeepers.
"It could have been worse, but it is still bad news for the SANDF," Mr Heitman said, adding that there had not been a start to the integration of the Defence Review.
"There will definitely be repercussions for peace missions, not necessarily the cost because they are reimbursed by either the African Union or the United Nations, but with manpower and equipment like the transport aircraft.
"If the Sudan soldiers are sent to do border protection on their return to SA, then there will be savings in terms of the number of reserve force members that have to be called up.
"That will take some of the pressure off but only if more peacekeeping deployments, perhaps in troubled Burundi, aren’t needed," Mr Heitman said.
CRITICAL: The review of the country’s defence policy found there were too few troops in the South African National Defence Force, and many were too old. Picture: SUNDAY TIMES
Budget cuts in the Department of Defence over the next three years spelled disaster for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the implementation of the Defence Review, experts said yesterday.
The cuts could also threaten the SANDF’s peace missions.
While President Jacob Zuma’s announcement this week of the return in April of South African troops keeping the peace in Darfur in Sudan will ease the burden, there will still be increased pressure on defence spending.
United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa, himself a former military man, said the cuts clearly showed that the Defence Review approved by Parliament last year, had not yet been integrated into the systems of the SANDF.
The review — an assessment finalised last year that measures SA’s combat readiness and proposes what must be done about it — found that the SANDF was in a state of severe decline that would need immediate attention.
"I suspect that the DoD (Department of Defence) has not yet sat down with the National Treasury to determine the scale of budget increases for the SANDF," Gen Holomisa said, adding that the effect would not be good for SA’s peacekeeping operations.
Peacekeeping is a pillar in SA’s foreign policy in Africa and South African soldiers and Rooivalk helicopters have played a key role in stabilising the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with the defeat of some rebels in the area.
Local defence analyst Hëlmoed-Romer Heitman said the defence force was already lagging in what had been planned in terms of renewal of equipment.
He said the air force was almost 20% behind what was planned and noted there was no new money in the budget for urgently needed heavy-lift transport aircraft.
The aircraft are needed for the rapid deployment of peacekeepers.
"It could have been worse, but it is still bad news for the SANDF," Mr Heitman said, adding that there had not been a start to the integration of the Defence Review.
"There will definitely be repercussions for peace missions, not necessarily the cost because they are reimbursed by either the African Union or the United Nations, but with manpower and equipment like the transport aircraft.
"If the Sudan soldiers are sent to do border protection on their return to SA, then there will be savings in terms of the number of reserve force members that have to be called up.
"That will take some of the pressure off but only if more peacekeeping deployments, perhaps in troubled Burundi, aren’t needed," Mr Heitman said.
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