Lobbying and civil rights organisation AfriForum has called on Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to urgently investigate and address the significant decline in security at South African National Defence Force (SANDF) bases, particularly, but not exclusively, at the army’s Wallmansthal depot, north of Pretoria. Wallmansthal is one of the SANDF’s biggest vehicle depots.

The issues needing attention there, and at other bases, include theft, trespassing, failure to adhere to security measures and the decay in base security infrastructure. These failures include inadequate entrance control, collapsing security fences and a general lack of infrastructure maintenance.

“The ongoing security breaches at SANDF bases, particularly at Wallmansthal, are unacceptable and pose a serious threat to our national security,” affirmed AfriForum community safety chief spokesperson Jacques Broodryk. “Don’t forget that even firearms have been stolen from defence force bases. We are calling on the Minister of Defence to take immediate and effective action to solve these issues and to ensure that our military terrains [sic] are adequately protected.”

AfriForum reported that theft was happening “almost nightly” at the Wallmansthal depot. People were entering the property illegally and stealing vehicle parts and other items. Local community members had frequently reported criminal activities at the base to the Military Police, but little had so far been done to curb them.  

The group emphasised the need for improved security measures. These would include properly training and equipping security personnel. The procedures currently in place were clearly inadequate. AfriForum urged the Minister to take “swift and decisive action” to improve base security measures.

Safety measures, including those for fire prevention, had also seriously deteriorated. This had been shown by a recent fire at Wallmansthal, which reportedly resulted in the destruction of several hundred stored vehicles. AfriForum also called for the immediate upgrading of fire prevention measures at SANDF bases.