TROOP WITHDRAWAL Plans for R5bn SANDF peace mission funds

FINANCE Minister Enoch Godongwana said any decision regarding the R5 billion allocated for the SANDF peace mission will take into account the Department of Defence needs amid the withdrawal of troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

This comes in response to con cerns raised by ActionSA’s Alan Beesley regarding the financial ramifications of the planned troop withdrawal.

Beesley wrote to Godongwana enquiring about the financial impli cations of the SANDF’s exit from the DRC, including the impact on the R5bn for the deployment to the DRC after the decision by the Southern African Development Community to withdraw troops from the DRC.

He also wanted to know whether the R5bn allocated in the 2023/6 budget for peacekeeping commitments would be reallocated, reduced and/or repurposed.

In his written reply, Godongwana said the financial implications would only be determined once SADC pro vides a formal withdrawal plan.