The debate on the Defence Budget Vote 2025 (vote 23) in the National Assembly, by Hon M.A. (Angie) Motshekga, Minister for Defence and Military Veterans, Goodhope Chambers, Parliament, Cape Town
House Chairperson
Deputy Ministers of Defence and Military Veterans,
Chairpersons and Members of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence,
Honourable Members,
Acting Secretary for Defence, the Chief of the National Defence Force and the Acting Director-General of the DMV.
Distinguished Guests.
1. Moment of silence
Chairperson,
At the outset, let us remember those members of the South African National Defence Force who fell in the line of duty this past year, and specifically those who fell during February of this year in the Eastern DRC.
“From the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same, we will remember them”
“We WILL remember them.”
I would like to take this opportunity to inform Parliament and all South Africans that since the announcement of SAMIDRC phased withdrawal by our regional body SADC, all two thousand two hundred and fifteen (2215) members of the South African National Defence Force who were deployed in the OP THIBA mission as part of SAMIDRC.
On behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces, the entire defence force family and the people of South Africa, I want to thank our men and women for their sacrifice and hard work in contributing to peace and stability in the region. Their efforts will never be forgotten. We welcome all of them back home.
Meanwhile, all our Prime Mission Equipment has also been withdrawn from the eastern DRC to Chato, in Tanzania. Once verified, it will be loaded by air and sea back to South Africa. As we had promised in our engagement with the media, no equipment has been left in the eastern DRC. I would like to thank the Government of Rwanda for allowing us passage through their territory into Tanzania. We furthermore wish to thank the Governments of Tanzania, Malawi and all parties involved in the safe withdrawal of our members.
Chairperson,
Let me get into the business of the day, which is the debate of the defence budgets 2025, Vote 23 and Vote 26 for military veterans. Let us remind ourselves of the core business of the defence establishment and its importance.
Chairperson, just to remind ourselves, the defence establishment is mandated by the Constitution to defend and protect the Republic of South Africa and its people, safeguarding South Africa’s sovereignty, people, and constitutional order.
The Department of Defence is located within the Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024 – 2029, as approved on 26 February 2025 by the Government of National Unity, continues to guide the focus of the 7th Administration. The Budget Vote 23 is also in alignment with the adjusted Department of Defence Strategic Plan (2025 -2030) and the Annual Performance Plan for the 2025/26 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, as was tabled in Parliament on 17 June 2025.
The Department of Defence, in line with its own specific mandate continues to support government objectives i.e. inclusive growth and job creation; reduction of poverty and tackling the high cost of living; building a capable, ethical and developmental state through different initiatives such as interventions on leveraging defence-related research and develop initiatives to stimulate innovation working with the defence industry to grow and support the economy.
Governance and accountability remain of importance ensuring that the defence utilises scarce resources in the most effective and efficient manner in compliance with regulatory requirements, thus contributing to building a capable, ethical and developmental state.
Chairperson,
On 24 January 2024, the President instructed the DOD to develop a new set of policies and strategies that would articulate a long-term strategic trajectory that repositions the SANDF as a strong and resilient force with enhanced military capabilities, fire-power and combat readiness applicable to the emerging strategic environment, and specifically position the SANDF appropriately in respect of emergent regional dynamics.
The above policy and strategy review process culminated in the development of three draft documents the “Future Defence Capstone Policy Concept”, the “Military Capstone Strategizing Concept” and a “Future Military Strategy 2025-2055”. These strategic documents are under discussion and consideration in different fora.
Meanwhile, the South African National Security Council (SANSC) also directed the South African National Security Secretariat (SANSS) develop a Report on the Reviewing of the SA Defence Review 2015 and the considerations for “Investing in a Sustainable Modern Defence Force”.
Chairperson
Allow me to turn to the budget as has been allocated to the Department of the Defence for the FY2025/26. The Department of Defence has received a total Budget Allocation of 57,183 billion-rand for 2025/26.
Of this budget allocation, 36,703 billion-rand has been set as the ceiling for the Compensation of Employees (COE), constituting approximately 64% of the defence allocation. Furthermore, approximately 8,359 billion-rand is earmarked, which includes, amongst others:
- 2,773 billion-rand for accommodation charges, leases and municipal services,
- 2,556 billion-rand for the SAMIDRC,
- 1,464 billion-rand transfer payment to Armscor,
- 487 million-rand for the Republic’s assessed contribution to SADC for the SAMIDRC deployment,
- 480 million-rand for the repair and maintenance of maritime defence systems,
- 300 million-rand for day-to-day maintenance and emergency repairs and
- 200 million-rand for the procurement of vehicles and technology for border safeguarding.
Leaving only 12 billion for the Defence Force to meet its constitutional mandate.
Chairperson
In spite of our ongoing financial constraints, which badly affect our planning and operations, we will continue to reprioritise and do more with the little we have our disposal. Key to this reprioritisation is putting the “soldier first”. The "Soldier First" ethos is a mind-set and approach that the SANDF wish to impress upon every soldier and commander to adopt, focusing on putting soldiers’ needs and welfare at the centre.
This includes ensuring soldiers are properly equipped with the uniforms, boots, protective gear, and habitable facilities catering for the needs of all including women soldiers and persons with disabilities. Selected “Model Units” will receive priority upgrades ensuring safety and security, well- maintained bases, sports and recreation facilities, and training areas. Soldiers on deployment will also get priority support for all their needs during deployment.
Chairperson
Efforts are underway to rejuvenate the SANDF's human resource profile, modernise, maintenance, repair and overhaul of the prime mission equipment, with the South African Defence Industry (SADI) as the key national defence partner.
Department of Defence Human Resources Plan for the 2025 Medium Term Expenditure Framework reflects a deliberate and phased approach to sustaining a capable, rejuvenated, and cost-efficient defence workforce within existing budgetary constraints. The prioritised interventions focus on aligning the organisational structure with the Level of Defence Ambition, optimising the workforce composition through targeted recruitment and re- mustering strategies, managing the Reserve Force as a strategic surge capability and restoring expenditure discipline to bring CoE expenditure in line with fiscal realities.
Chair, I cannot overemphasise the importance of ensuring effective governance and accountability of the entire defence portfolio. This priority reiterates the requirement for effective governance and accountability within the DOD to ensure departmental legislative compliance. This would ensure a modern, effective, resilient, and sustainable SANDF, capacitated to execute mandated commitments.
Procurement and human resource irregularities will be addressed through strengthened internal controls, transparent systems, regulatory and oversight bodies. The Department recognises that effective resource management depends on modernising its administrative and departmental processes. The DoD digitisation plans are well underway.
Together, these efforts will restore public trust, improve departmental effectiveness, and ensure that the DOD can fulfil its constitutional mandate to protect the RSA while supporting the broader national strategic priorities of “build a capable, ethical, and developmental state”.
Chairperson
Whilst on the other end, the primary focus of Government is the sustainable and rapid growth of the economy and the removing of obstacles that stand in the way of growth.
Concomitantly, defence will work hard to contribute in this objective by re- positioning the South African Defence Industry (SADI) to pursue the strategic goal of economic growth and job creation. In particular, the department will focus on the following interventions:
- To develop a Defence Industry Sector Policy as a component of the National Industrial Policy Action Plan.
- Defence Industry Sector Strategy that indicates how the Department intends to maintain and develop industry capabilities that are essential to its Strategic Capital Acquisition Master Plan.
- Defence Public-Private-Partnership Policy and Strategy, in alignment with the national framework, including developing the necessary nodal point and processes thereto.
In this regard the SADI must be positioned as a vital economic asset, ready for expansion to drive national development and support government priorities for a capable state and become a strong local defence industry that creates jobs, develops new technologies, and ensures that the SANDF is well-equipped.
Cooperation between Denel, local companies, and international partners will be expanded to boost exports and attract investment. The centrality of Denel is critical in the maintenance and support of the SANDF.
Repositioning Armscor as an entity for SANDF Equipment and Capability Modernisation must be intensified to make sure that Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) for midlife upgrades and modernisation of PME (air, land, naval domains) guarantees the longevity and mission effectiveness for the SANDF.
Military Ombud
Chairperson,
The Military Ombud continues to be an important instrument for civil- military relations and civil oversight, as well as promoting good labour relations within the SANDF. Cabinet has approved that we host the 17th International Conference of the Ombuds Institutions for the Armed Forces over the period 08 to 09 October 2025. We are looking forward to receiving other Ombud’s structures from other parts of the world, including learning and contributing to their work.
Castle Control Board
Chairperson,
The Castle Control Board (CCB) continues to excel on the global heritage and memorialisation scene, utilising the Castle of Good Hope as a symbol of understanding, education, healing and nation-building. It has gained steady strides as a world renowned heritage site under the UNESCO auspices.
Defence Force Service Commission
We continue to engage with the DFSC to re-examine its mandate and will make a pronouncement in this regard once satisfied that all legal requirements are in place. This process will operate such that there are efficiencies brought about to its operations and for the effectiveness of their mandate towards the achievements of the defence function.
Military Veterans
The Department of Military Veterans derives its mandate from the Military Veterans Act (2011) which requires it to provide policy and standards on socio-economic support to military veterans and their dependants including benefits and entitlements to help realise a dignified, unified empowered and self-sufficient community of military veterans.
Military Veterans’ budget allocation
For the 2025/26 financial year, the department has been allocated eight hundred and seventy-eight million (R878 million)
We acknowledge the support from the Presidential Task Team on Military Veterans led by the Deputy President of the Republic. We would also like to add our heartfelt condolences at the passing of the first Chairperson of the Presidential Task Team, Deputy President DD Mabuza. His guidance was invaluable in ensuring the pension benefit for military veterans was disbursed since November 2023. Thus far, 4,378 military veterans have been provided for at a cost of R217,5 million.
The establishment of the transversal team to assist the Department to unlock the challenges faced by the department.
The Database Work-stream of the PTT is currently in the process of verifying military veterans across the country having resumed with the North West province, to be followed by Free State in the coming weeks. Parallel to the verification we are also embarking on cleansing the existing national military veterans’ database to enhance its integrity.
In collaboration with sister departments, we have embarked on a project to repatriate the remains of our fallen heroes and heroines in Zambia and Zimbabwe during 2024. A total number of 35 mortal remains have been repatriated thus far and further work is underway.
Over the past 3 audited financial years the DMV Education Support Benefit provided learners and students as follows:
- During the 2021/22 financial year, 3,711 learners and students at a cost of R88 million
- In the 2022/23 financial year, a total number of 4,114 learners and students at a cost of R126 million.
- 3,690 learners and students cost the Department R135 million during the 2023/24 financial year.
The unaudited information for the 2024/25 financial year, 2,738 learners and students were provided with education support to continue with their studies. To date at least 100 have graduated.
In terms of the overall budget, National Treasury notes that “the department plans to intensify the rollout of military veterans pensions with the aim of reaching 9 600 deserving military veterans or their dependants by 2027/28. In accordance with section 3(1)(c) of the Military Veterans Act, 2011, the means test will be applied to ensure this benefit is directed towards the most deserving.”
During this 2025 MTEF period, 63% of the total allocated budget of R2.7 billion rand and R1.7 billion rand is earmarked for the disbursement of military veterans benefits.
Concluding statements
Chairperson.
Our mandate extends beyond defence; we are an enabler of national resilience, contributing to stability, economic growth, and the well-being of our people through a disciplined, combat-ready force.
I present to you the 2025/26 Defence and Military Veterans’ Budget of 58 Billion Rands for Votes 23 and 26.
I thank you.
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