Defence Minister to act after navy chief's scathing criticism of budget cuts

The Department of Defence says that Defence Minister Angie Motshekga will be taking action after recent comments made by Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese regarding the impact of budget cuts on the navy. 

Lobese said: “For our Cabinet to approve the reduction of the SANDF work force or strength is actually nothing far from telling us [to] implement a defence version of what General Mkhwanazi has disclosed in the Madlanga Commission with regard to the closure of the Political Killing Task Team,” Lobese said while addressing the Chief of the Navy's Prestige Charity Ball at St George's Hotel in Tshwane.

Lobese made the remarks during his Prestige Address, in which he painted a grim picture of a Navy hamstrung by years of underfunding, dwindling resources, and what he described as “an unpatriotic, sellout posture” towards national defence.

In response to the comments, the Department of Defence said it had noted Lobese's comments with concern.

Lobese had said: “The unpatriotic, and what appears to be a sellout posture of defunding the SA Navy and SANDF in general, leaves me with a question of whether the people behind what I would like to call ‘nonsense’ are not busy with a mission to privatise the SA Navy and the SANDF,” he said.

He warned that the Navy’s “prolonged absence at sea” due to the non-availability of ships and submarines posed a serious national risk, leaving South Africa’s waters vulnerable to drug cartels, human traffickers and illegal traders.

“Our prolonged absence at sea due to non-availability of ships and submarines all because of under resourcing of our Navy should concern you as fellow patriots and South Africans,” he said.

Lobese went further, questioning whether those responsible for cutting the Defence budget “may be directly or indirectly influenced” by criminal networks benefiting from weakened maritime surveillance.

The Navy chief called for urgent political will to restore funding for the SANDF, arguing that national security was being “outsourced to fate.” He warned that continued cuts would undermine South Africa’s sovereignty, deterrence capability and its credibility among allies.

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Defence said the minister regarded these remarks not only as inappropriate, disingenuous and unfortunate.

The department said the matter is receiving attention at all levels, starting from within the department to Parliament.

“The Minister will be taking appropriate steps to deal with this unfortunate outburst, worst still from a senior person at his level. The views expressed at the event do not reflect the official position of the department,” the statement said.

THE MERCURY