The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) urges government to halt the mind boggling planned R372 million budget for the Defence Force Day parade and related activities scheduled for 21 February in Thohoyandou. This is a grotesque waste of funds which can be better utilised to address the many pressing needs of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Blowing R372 million on a one-day parade will take wasteful expenditure to new lows for the SANDF and the nation.
This tone-deaf waste of scarce resources is an insult to the thousands of members of the SANDF who are struggling under some of the most extreme circumstances due to budget cuts and mismanagement. SANDF peacekeeping forces deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo lost lives because of a lack of working air support and Armory. The same peacekeeping soldiers saw the SANDF pocket half of their United Nations’ allowances, adding salt to the wound.
Soldiers from SANDF bases across South Africa have long complained about deteriorating barracks, broken toilets and worn-out uniforms. We have been alarmed by more recent reports from members that they are now being reduced to one meal a day due to cost containment measures. Many aircraft, ships and vehicles are no longer operable due to the need for maintenance, new parts and even tyres! Pilots and other personnel are receiving far below the minimum hours of training to maintain their operating licenses and levels of combat readiness.
The nation is facing a variety of security threats from the trafficking of people, stolen cars and drugs across our land borders to the need to protect our seas from illegal fishing by foreign and domestic vessels.
This R372 million can be far better utilised by the SANDF as part of government’s efforts to rebuild its capacity to fulfill its constitutional mandate to secure South Africa. A R372 million ego trip for some painfully out of touch generals is simply unacceptable, more so after the 2% VAT hike fiasco of 2025 motivated by government needing additional funds for frontline public services.
COSATU urges President Cyril Ramaphosa, to instruct the Minister for Defence, Ms. A. Motshekga, and the SANDF to scrap this fanciful extravaganza and redirect this R372 million towards ensuring that our soldiers receive their meals, live in decent barracks, receive their training and have working vehicles. It is time that the culture of wasteful expenditure in the SANDF was dealt with.
Issued by COSATU
Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)
Mobile: 082 785 0687
Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za
