Majority of complaints from soldiers relate to conditions of service

The Office of Military Ombud received 590 new complaints from soldiers and members of the public during the 2024/25 financial year that ended in March.

- MAYIBONGWE MAGHINA

The office, which investigates complaints from serving and former members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), and from members of the public regarding the conduct of soldiers, said the number of complaints relating to the official conduct of members has been gradually declining.

In his annual report, Military Ombud, retired lieutenant-general Vusumuzi Masondo, said his office recorded an increase in the intake of new complaints in 2024/25 compared to previous financial years.

“The office managed a caseload of 662 complaints, comprising 590 new complaints received during the financial year and 72 carried over from the previous year,’ Masondo said.

He said of the 590 new complaints received, 296 were submitted by members of the SANDE, raising concerns about their conditions of service.

However, Masondo said despite the internal deployment of the SANDF under Operation Proper following the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the number of complaints from members of the public about the official conduct of soldiers has remained relatively low.