By: Natasha Archary
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is reportedly so deep in financial ruin that it cannot afford fresh food for deployed soldiers.
Over the weekend a report by City Press claimed cash-strapped SANDF is so deep in turmoil that it will likely be outsourced because its too broke to carry out its own mandate.
This after news broke earlier this month that 3000 SANDF members will be laid off over the next 3-years.
As calls mount for SANDF to be deployed to areas in the country that are protest heavy, the state of the country’s defence force has been laid bare.
A leaked report sheds light on mismanagement of funds over R205 million, however the amount is said to be much higher, with over R6.1 billion of irregular expenditure unaccounted for.
As reported by The Citizen, SANDF troops who are deployed have to spend their own money on equipment and uniform essentials such as boots, because there’s no money.
Working conditions for deployed soldiers have reached the point where there’s no budget for fresh food and rations are a mess.
Not only is cash-strapped SANDF underfunded, but it lacks critical skills and infrastructure, which is why deploying the army to safeguard communities is not an option.
A report by The Sunday Times outlines some of the key issues the Auditor General of South Africa’s (AGSA) highlights about the Department of Defence.
A number of fraud and misconduct cases are at the top of these areas, along with wasteful expenditure, mismanagement of funds. Irregular contracts and bad record keeping are said to be part of the reason for SANDF’s lack of cashflow.
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