/ MEDIA STATEMENT / The content on this page is not written by Polity.org.za, but is supplied by third parties. This content does not constitute news reporting by Polity.org.za.

ActionSA is outraged by the tragic loss of 9 South African soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who died under-resourced and outgunned, while Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga has spent over R10.4 million on luxury travel in just four months. 

This revelation, confirmed in a reply to ActionSA’s parliamentary question, exposes a stark contrast between the sacrifices of our armed forces and the extravagant spending of those meant to lead them.

According to the Minister’s response, her travel expenditure includes:

• R4 007 732.59 on international flights
• R2 154 080.88 on car hire
• Millions more on domestic travel

Shockingly, she failed to provide any justification for these trips, raising serious concerns about financial accountability while our soldiers face life-threatening conditions with inadequate resources.

Since Thursday, our forces in Saké, Eastern DRC, have been under heavy rebel attack. 9 of our soldiers have died, 15 more have been injured, and many remain in danger. Reports indicate that they ran out of ammunition and were left waiting for resupplies from thousands of kilometres away—a preventable failure that highlights the dangerous mismanagement of our military resources.

It is unacceptable that our men and women in uniform, sent to the frontlines of a foreign conflict, are denied basic necessities to protect themselves while the Minister indulges in costly travel. This is not just negligence—it is a betrayal of duty.

ActionSA has long warned that mismanagement and underfunding have crippled our defence capabilities, leaving the SANDF unable to safeguard our national security. This is why we opposed the R2.1 billion Section 16 appropriation in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) for the DRC deployment and voted against the Defence budget vote. We cannot continue to deploy our forces into prolonged foreign conflicts while our own borders remain porous and our national security deteriorates.

Minister Motshekga must act immediately to:

• Advise the President to halt all unplanned and uncosted SANDF deployments.
• Ensure the immediate return of South African troops from the DRC.
• Root out corruption and inefficiencies within the Department of Defence.
• Restructure the bloated and costly top management to redirect funding toward frontline soldiers.
• Commission an independent Defence Review to overhaul the country’s defence strategy.

Nine families are mourning today while the Minister travels in luxury. We cannot allow reckless leadership to squander the lives of our soldiers. South Africa’s men and women in uniform deserve dignity, respect, protection, and competent leadership.

Issued by ActionSA Parliamentary Chief Whip Lerato Ngobeni MP