Is broke SANDF in over its head as troops are deployed to DRC?
The Department of Defence's Siphiwe Dlamini and Faith Mabera at the Institute for Global Dialogue discuss deployment of SANDF troops to the DRC.
SANDF army defence force soldiers
It's a decision the Democratic Alliance this week called 'utter madness'.
The deployment of 2 900 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
It's the largest deployment of soldiers since the start of democracy and according to government it forms part of South Africa’s international obligation towards the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission to support the DRC.
It's certainly going to be a costly show of solidarity. The price tag for the mission is around R2 billion.
But where's the money coming from, especially because SANDF is to all intents and purposes broke?
The Institute for Global Dialogue's Faith Mabera says underfunding for the SANDF has been a long-running problem:
"It is with that thought and that challenge in mind that questions are being raised about the kind of demand that such an operation to DRC would have on forces."
- Faith Mabera, Senior Researcher - Institute for Global Dialogue
Mabera says the deployment increases the likelihood of overstretching given the SANDF's current deployment in other regions.
"The SANDF is also actively participating in a mission in Northern Mozambique."
- Faith Mabera, Senior Researcher - Institute for Global Dialogue
The reality is that the SANDF does not have the capacity to effectively pursue an anti-insurgency campaign against the M23 rebels and neither does it have the prime mission equipment to support the ground forces, said the DA in a statement on Tuesday.
"In the past we've seen reports that attack helicopters like the Rooivalk and the Oryx are in short supply, some are not functional which has implications on tactial and operational plans.'
- Faith Mabera, Senior Researcher - Institute for Global Dialogue
Siphiwe Dlamini is the spokesperson for the Department of Defence.
He says the SANDF is 'alive' to the concerns raised about this latest deployment.
"We are busy developing, and have developed, plans to mitigate all the issues raised."
- Siphiwe Dlamini, Spokesperson - Department of Defence.
Dlamini says those plans are currently being shared with government, but adds that the issues do not prevent the force from being able to 'conduct ourselves in the expectation that government expects us to conduct ourselves'.
"Remember, this is not a South African deployment, this is a SADC deployment, we are working with other countries."
- Siphiwe Dlamini, Spokesperson - Department of Defence.
"This [R2 billion] funding is purely to ensure our deployment receives what it needs on the ground."
- Siphiwe Dlamini, Spokesperson - Department of Defence.