South Africa’s defence force is facing a deepening crisis amid reports that only 27 percent of its soldiers are fit for deployment, raising alarm over the military’s operational readiness.
According to reports monitored here on Tuesday, the shortcomings were identified during a recent audit of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
The SANDF has been plagued by underfunding, poor leadership and collapsing logistical capacity.
Defence analyst Ricardo Teixeira told Eyewitness News that the situation reflected years of warnings ignored by policymakers.
“People have been warning that it’s on the brink of collapse for a very long time and it’s clear this is the result of underfunding and of poor leadership and not taking our army seriously,” Teixeira said.
He said the SANDF has lost its logistical capability and its intake rate is nowhere near enough to address the problem.
The revelation comes on the heels of a major setback in the SANDF’s regional role.
Late last year, South African troops deployed under the Southern African Development Community mission in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo suffered casualties and struggled to sustain operations, exposing weaknesses in manpower and supply chains.
Despite repeated calls for increased funding, the defence budget remains far below that of the police service, with little appetite in the treasury for additional allocations.
Teixeira warned that even doubling the budget would not resolve the crisis without decisive leadership and a long‑term plan.
“This is a problem that needs to be addressed with leadership and a plan. We need a minister who understands the issues this institute is facing.”
Once regarded as one of Africa’s strongest militaries, the SANDF now faces questions about its ability to meet domestic and regional security obligations.
JN/APA