Army chief’s R2m golf event raises questions over SANDF spending priorities

A R2 million golf event, involving high-end accommodation and hospitality for guests and hosted by army chief Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, is raising questions over SANDF spending.

The event has sparked anger among critics who call it excessive at a time when the army is strapped for cash, using ageing equipment and dealing with operational strain.

Defence analyst Ricardo Teixeira says these charity golf days are nothing new.

"Last year, around the time the 14 South African soldiers were killed during the Battle of Goma, over that weekend, the air force had a golf day."

Teixeira admits the optics of such events are problematic, adding that they form part of an 'unhonourable' culture that has developed among senior officers.

"It's part of the problem [the SANDF] faces. The rank and file are overworked and getting older every day, but the leadership of the institution is only focused on having a good time."

He says this type of extravagance is particularly damaging in light of ongoing funding constraints.

"It's hard to argue for the institution to get more funding to become properly equipped when the leadership doesn't seem interested in making that a reality."

According to a News24 article, roads leading to the golf venue were prioritised for repairs, leading to questions about whether public funds were used to support the event.

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There are also concerns about the impact on morale among troops, many of whom are working under difficult conditions with limited support.

The SANDF has a strange culture where leaders are treated like royalty, says Teixeira.

"This is an individual who, as has been alleged by my sources in the army, has a taster to taste his food and has used the Pathfinder unit within the parachute regiment as his personal bodyguards."

According to a recent City Press article, the 15-page operational instruction for the golf day was slightly shorter than the army's recent outline of its entire nationwide deployment to gang and crime hotspots.

To listen to Teixeira in conversation with CapeTalk's John Maytham, use the audio player below: