The debate in Parliament on the Department of Defence and Military Veterans' Budget Vote, on July 9, highlighted the significant challenges facing the defence sectors and the military in South Africa.

Some political parties, including uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and ActionSA, rejected the R57.1-billion budget for the department for 2025/26.

Various parties cited the failure of the department to verify and protect the database of military veterans to ensure pension payments and benefits are provided to deserving military veterans and their dependents.

Democratic Alliance MP Maliyakhe Shelembe said the department has not finalised the database of military veterans, while the regional military veterans' offices and the national call centre are not operational.

“Military veterans and their dependents are not treated with the dignity they deserve owing to the failure of the Minister.”

Other parties highlighted the significant financial constraints the department and military sector operate under.

MK MP Mzikayise Ntshingila said South Africa is spending only 0.7% of its GDP on defence, that only one in four frigates are operational and that there are no operational helicopters or submarines owing to a lack of funding.

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) MP Inkosi Nsikayezwe Cebekhulu said South Africa's air and naval capabilities are near collapse, with submarines inoperative and warships immobilised, and that “it is an open secret that our maritime borders from Mozambique to Namibia are largely unprotected”.

“Our soldiers were left under-resourced in the Democratic Republic of Congo and were forced to surrender, not because of a lack of courage or will but because they lacked basic supplies. This is a national disgrace and a direct result of poor planning and misplaced priorities. A large share of the budget continues to go towards personnel costs,” he said.

Financial constraints badly affected the department's planning and operations, said Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga during her budget vote speech.

“The budget for the Department of Defence and Military Veterans for 2025/26 is R57.1-billion. [Funds] set aside for compensation of employees constitutes 64% of the defence allocation. After all expenses, this leaves the department with R12-billion to meet its constitutional mandates,” she said.

Further, portfolio committee chairperson and African National Congress MP Molefi Legoete said South Africa has not kept up with its commitments and, at 0.7% of GDP spent on defence, it was far behind other nations, such as those in the EU which have increased their spending on defence to 5% of GDP.

“We have to focus on national security. The South African defence force needs long-term fiscal certainty, particularly given the complexity of military procurement,” he said.

“The IFP accepts the budget vote and will continue to monitor and question the proposed solutions. We stand not in opposition to Department of Defence and Military Veterans, but as a voice demanding that this budget delivers real security, real dignity and real outcomes.”

Freedom Front Plus MP Wouter Wessels commented that: “the Minister is correct that there are severe financial constraints, but there is a shortage in the budget to resource the military to be able to defend South Africa and her people effectively”.

However, while this was the case, currently, the few resources and funds that are available are not being used effectively, he added.

Effective governance and accountability across the entire defence force were important to ensure the military is modern, resilient, sustainable and capacitated to meet its mandate, said Motshekga.

“We will strengthen internal controls, transfers and departmental oversight, and the modernisation of our administration processes to ensure effective use of resources; hence the project to digitise systems in the department is under way,” she said.

If South Africa wants to restore trust in its military, the department must improve its effectiveness and capacitate the military to fulfil its mandate of protecting South Africa.

EFF MP Carl Niehaus called for the defence budget to be raised to 1.5% of GDP.

“We demand a defence summit, a strategic overhaul and urgent action to fix the Denel and Armscor failures. We owe those who serve capably in the South African National Defence Force to ensure the department delivers justice and security to the nation,” he said.