MILITARY experts have stopped short of calling SA armed forces a joke, but say the SANDF is so inadequately equipped and neglected it would be unable to contain a simple internal revolt.
The 2014 South African Defence Review report approved by cabinet this month has warned of a “critical state of decline”, “neglect”, lack of proper ammunition, ageing military aircraft and obsolete equipment such as infantry trucks.
This is an indictment on Africa’s continental superpower with United Nations peacekeeping missions in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan as well as anti-piracy efforts off Mozambique.
The report warned that such deployments were under threat due to inadequate funding for the improvement of the 97000 strong armed forces.
Reuters quoted the report as saying it could take “five years to arrest the decline and another five years to to develop a limited and sustainable defence capability”.
The report recommended R116-billion in annual funding – 3.3% of GDP – to attain the highest level of military security.
Bantu Holomisa, deputy chairperson of the Defence Force Services Commission, said they recommended the review report, after the realisation that ground troops were ill-equipped and unable to maintain border security, or effectively combat rhino poaching.
What they see in army bases during in loco inspection of equipment is an embarrassment, Holomisa said.
“With the infantry trucks in those bases, we are not ready to face any internal conflict.
“If there was to be a riot and police are unable to contain it, the armed forces could easily be pelted with stones and will have to run for their lives with those old trucks,” he said.
Military expert Professor Anthoni van Nieuwkerk said the quality of equipment was uneven.
He said the country did not need sophisticated fighter jets such as the Gripen “flying around at supersonic speed. What we need is reconnaissance aircraft to fly long distances and infantry trucks to move personnel around”.
Van Nieuwkerk added that the review was clear on what should happen: strengthen peace-keeping capacity and increase the state of readiness for emergency and unrest.
The deaths of 13 SA troops at the hands of Seleka rebels in the Central African Republic last year has been partly attributed to inadequate combat supplies, including ammunition. — Additional reporting by Reuters
Army incapable of ‘containing’ a riot
The 2014 South African Defence Review report approved by cabinet this month has warned of a “critical state of decline”, “neglect”, lack of proper ammunition, ageing military aircraft and obsolete equipment such as infantry trucks.
This is an indictment on Africa’s continental superpower with United Nations peacekeeping missions in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan as well as anti-piracy efforts off Mozambique.
The report warned that such deployments were under threat due to inadequate funding for the improvement of the 97000 strong armed forces.
Reuters quoted the report as saying it could take “five years to arrest the decline and another five years to to develop a limited and sustainable defence capability”.
The report recommended R116-billion in annual funding – 3.3% of GDP – to attain the highest level of military security.
Bantu Holomisa, deputy chairperson of the Defence Force Services Commission, said they recommended the review report, after the realisation that ground troops were ill-equipped and unable to maintain border security, or effectively combat rhino poaching.
What they see in army bases during in loco inspection of equipment is an embarrassment, Holomisa said.
“With the infantry trucks in those bases, we are not ready to face any internal conflict.
“If there was to be a riot and police are unable to contain it, the armed forces could easily be pelted with stones and will have to run for their lives with those old trucks,” he said.
Military expert Professor Anthoni van Nieuwkerk said the quality of equipment was uneven.
He said the country did not need sophisticated fighter jets such as the Gripen “flying around at supersonic speed. What we need is reconnaissance aircraft to fly long distances and infantry trucks to move personnel around”.
Van Nieuwkerk added that the review was clear on what should happen: strengthen peace-keeping capacity and increase the state of readiness for emergency and unrest.
The deaths of 13 SA troops at the hands of Seleka rebels in the Central African Republic last year has been partly attributed to inadequate combat supplies, including ammunition. — Additional reporting by Reuters
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