The Democratic Alliance (DA) has said it will pursue all available parliamentary channels to hold Defence Minister Angie Motshekga accountable as it accused her of an “act of sabotage”, by failing to attend a parliamentary oversight session at the Simon’s Town Dockyard last week for a Border Management Authority meeting.

The DA wants President Cyril Ramaphosa to urgently review Motshekga’s presence in the portfolio, claiming that she undermines her own armed forces, and abdicates responsibility during national and regional uncertainty.

Last week’s meeting, convened by the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, was intended to address the long-standing conflict between the South African Navy and Armscor over stalled naval contracts, poor dockyard performance, and a deepening maintenance backlog.

Both institutions were scheduled to brief the committee.

“Instead, in a brazen act of executive interference, the Navy’s presentation was abruptly withdrawn the night before, reportedly on the direct instruction of Minister Motshekga,” said DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans Chris Hattingh.

Hattingh pointed out that when pressed for answers, Rear Admiral Bhekinkosi Mvovo refused to comment, prompting Deputy Minister Bantu Holomisa to confirm that the instruction had come from Motshekga.

He said this wasted public funds and disrupted the work of senior Armscor executives, board members, and South African National Defence Force personnel, many of whom Hattingh said were pulled from operational duties for an entire day, “only to be politically sidelined”.

“This incident is not isolated. It forms part of a broader leadership crisis under Minister Motshekga’s tenure. Her growing record of absenteeism, evasiveness, and disregard for parliamentary oversight has made her a liability to accountability, defence preparedness, and strategic coherence,” he noted.

Hattingh further stated that under Motshekga’s leadership, the SANDF’s participation in the SAMIDRC deployment in the Democratic Republic of Congo had collapsed into logistical disarray and reputational embarrassment.

He also said the withdrawal process from the DRC was a consequence of “failed” political and military leadership at the highest level.