Tensions rise as SANDF criticises National Treasury over military funding

THE National Treasury has fired back that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), saying that it has allocated an additional R10 billion to its R57.2bn budget in the 2025/26 financial year.

- BANELE GININDZA

This comes after Navy Admiral Monde Lobese launched a scathing attack against the Treasury last week, accusing it of sabotaging the operational capacity of the SANDF through inadequate budget allocations.

Lobese's appearance before the Joint Standing on Defence on Friday was initially intended to address ongoing disputes between the SANDF and Amscor related to constrained procurement processes.

However, it quickly evolved into a broader critique of the Treasury's budgeting practices, which he claims have long stifled the SANDF's ability to fulfil its mandate.