South Africa’s navy chief raises major red flags

The chronic underfunding of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), and thus the country’s navy, has weakened the country’s national security and is putting its seas at risk.

This is according to Navy Chief Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, who spoke at the SA Navy gala concert in Pretoria over the weekend.

“All I’m putting to you this evening is that we cannot continue to be silent observers while our country is being taken to the dogs,” he said.

“We need to advocate for a stronger, well-resourced defence force; we need to think about what is at stake for not having the navy present at sea.”

South Africa has a R57 billion Defense budget and spends 0.8% of GDP on defence.

Dr Moses Khanyile, director of the Centre for Military Studies at Stellenbosch University, said that this budget is inadequate to maintain a modern military capable of effectively addressing both internal and external threats.

Khanyile is calling for increased investment in research and development within local defence industries to ensure that the country does not remain vulnerable.

Lobese likened the current under-resourcing of the SANDF to the controversy surrounding the South African Police Service (SAPS).

“For our Cabinet to approve the reduction of the SANDF workforce or strength is nothing short of telling us to implement a defence version of what General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has disclosed… with regards to the closure of the Political Killings Task Team,” he argued.

“Closing down the SANDF is like buying a car and taking out insurance, or not having life cover for you and your family.”

However, it is not only military threats that Lobese is referring to.

He explained that while attending the recent Indo-Pacific International Maritime Conference in Australia, he was told by the head of Kenya’s navy about a ship transporting drugs to Mozambique that had been intercepted in Kenyan waters.

Lobese heard a similar story from the head of the Indonesian Navy, who mentioned how common it was for his naval vessels to intercept drug shipments in the country’s waters.

However, he noted that because the South African Navy lacks the resources to maintain its frigates and submarines, it is unable to conduct similar operations.

The Auditor-General of South Africa reported that the Navy’s hours at sea have dropped from 7,338 in 2012/13 to 3,717 in 2024/25 — a 49% decrease.

This was primarily attributed to the department’s lack of funding for mid-life upgrades to its four frigates and two submarines.

“For seven years, the four frigates – SAS Amatola, SAS Isandlwana, SAS Spioenkop, and SAS Mendi – have been virtually non-operational,” Democratic Alliance spokesperson on defence Chris Hattingh said.

“The projects were grossly mismanaged, breaking procurement rules and causing massive cost overruns.”

He said that for the navy to for the Navy to refit (a complete maintenance overhaul) its submarines and frigates, it will require roughly R700 million per vessel.

South Africa’s Air Force seems to be in an even more dire state, with its number of flying hours dropping to a ten-year low of just 247 hours — a 98% decrease since the 2012/13 financial year.

The AGSA said that poor procurement and the mismanagement of maintenance contracts are to blame for this lack of flying time.

Hattingh said earlier this year that only 16 of the Air Force’s nearly 200 planes are functional at any given time.

Only the reserve forces arm of the SANDF has seen an increase in deployment over the past 12 years, up 37%.