RISE Mzansi Leader Condemns Defence Budget as Inadequate and Dangerous

• RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi rejected the current defence budget and warned that underfunding leads to deadly consequences
• He highlighted recent deaths of SANDF members in the DRC and criticised the drastic budget cuts, which he believes undermine military competence
• Zibi also noted the high average age of infantry personnel and stressed the need for younger soldiers to maintain effectiveness

Reitumetse Makwea, a Briefly News current affairs journalist in Pretoria, South Africa, has covered local elections, policy changes, the State of the Nation Address and political news at The Citizen and Rekord Noweto for over five years.

RISE Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has rejected the current defence budget, calling it "wholly inadequate" for the substantial mandate the armed forces are expected to fulfil.

Addressing Parliament, the leader emphasised the critical consequences of underfunding the military.

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"I rise to reject this budget for the men and women in uniform. The problem with underfunding the armed forces is that it is always a deadly decision. People will die from all of this, and I believe they already do."

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Several SANDF members died

Two young brave members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have lost their lives while serving on a peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

This was followed by the death of Major Tolla Pieterse (46), who was fatally wounded when a hand grenade exploded close to his sleeping quarters in the Beni base in the eastern region of the DRC.

Zibi argued that the drastic reduction in funding has had a noticeable impact on the competence and strength of the military.

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"There is no universe where you take the knife to the lifeblood of the defence forces, and you retain its competence and strength."

SANDF's multiple roles in and around SA

The armed forces' multifaceted role is highlighted, including border protection, regional support for the South African Police Service (SAPS) and peacekeeping missions.

The RISE Mzansi leader noted the severe budget cuts over the past decade.

"Just in the period between 2012 and now, we have, in real terms, cut the defence budget by over 50%. We spend 0.7% of GDP on defence, far from the global average of 2.2% of GDP. And it shows."

A significant point of concern raised was the age of infantry-level personnel.

"At 40 years old, the average age of infantry-level personnel is too high. The men and women expected to fight on-the-ground battles are too old. These soldiers should not, on average, be older than 25."

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SANDF names 2 soldiers killed in DRC, SA outraged

Briefly News reported that the SANDF deployed members to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The eastern part of the DRC is in crisis, and South Africa and other SADC countries have stepped in to help fight rebels in the region.

Many South Africans were disturbed after reports that some soldiers from Mzansi had already died.

Source: Briefly News