The department of defence (DoD) has reprioritised some available funding for “absolute essentials” required for deployed South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members and is acquiring thousands of tents and flak jackets, among other items.
This was revealed in a presentation prepared by the DoD for the parliamentary portfolio committee on defence and military veterans (PCDMV), which convened on Wednesday to discuss:
- the Defence Amendment Bill;
- Military Disciplinary Supplementary Measures Bill; and
- feedback from the DoD on the PCDMV’s 2025 Budgetary Review and Recommendations Report (BRRR).
One of the items highlighted in the BRRR was the PCDMV’s “frustration and displeasure at the unacceptable lack of basic equipment for soldiers, especially those being deployed. Quality boots, uniforms, bullet proof vests, weapons and serviceable vehicles should be the minimum requirement for any military force. The committee therefore insists on a ‘back to basics’ approach, with a funding reprioritisation by the DoD to focus on the absolute essential tasks and equipment provision.”
In response, the DoD said it had reprioritised available funding for the absolute essentials required for deployed forces, namely:
- force protection;
- shelter and accommodation;
- health and safety;
- weapons security; and
- mission sustainment.
“To enable this, the logistics division was allocated R64m specifically to procure and deliver Border Safeguarding Optimisation Plan (BSOP) equipment,” the department said.
The National Treasury has not allocated the full requested funding, particularly for goods, services, and capital expenditure, which affects the BMA’s ability to invest in necessary operations and technology
— Leon Schreiber, home affairs minister
Some items have already been procured and delivered, while others are in the procurement process. These include:
- 790 complete chopper tents;
- 500 16×32m tents;
- 500 16×16m tents;
- 239 chemical toilets; and
- 1,826 stretchers.
“As part of the procurement process, all of the above were advertised, closed, and had their functionality evaluated on January 26,” the DoD said.
A go-ahead was given to the supplier to prepare for the delivery of 2,810 flak jackets with bullet proof inserts (approved at a November 2025 meeting). Ballistic tests have already been completed and 203 sets have been delivered to the SANDF’s mobilisation centre.
BMA equipment acquired through CARA fund
The Border Management Authority (BMA) received R150m in funding from the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA) — against R500m requested — and has used it to acquire vehicles, firearms, body cameras, scanners, boats and drones, among other equipment. However, it still requires much more.
This was revealed by home affairs minister Leon Schreiber in a December reply to a parliamentary question posed by ActionSA’s Lerato Ngobeni. She was informed more than R60m has been spent on acquiring vehicles, and these have all been delivered. They include:
- 20 Volkswagen Polo GTIs (R10m);
- 10 Volkswagen T-Rocs (R6.3m);
- 33 Volkswagen Polo Vivos (R9.4m);
- 12 prison carrier vehicles (R1.3m);
- 32 quad bikes (R2.9m);
- five Audi S4 sedans (R4.9m);
- seven tractors (R9m);
- four 65-seater buses (R10m); and
- four 35-seater buses (R8.3m).
Armscor helped the BMA acquire weapons and personal kit for BMA border guards, including:
- 700 Beretta Px4 Storm pistols (R17m), which will be delivered by the end of March;
- 150 R5 assault rifles (R8m), also expected by the end of March; and
- ten Scorpio firearms worth R667,000.
Regarding ammunition, 100,000 rounds of ammunition for the Px4 pistols and 48,000 rounds of R5 ammunition worth a combined R1.1m have been delivered.
Personal equipment acquired through Armscor includes:
- 400 tactical helmets and 72 binoculars worth a combined R3.3m;
- 100 tactical vests (R5m); and
- 400 elbow and knee guards and 400 tactical gloves (R1.1m for both), while
- the procurement of 2,500 body cameras worth R8m is under way.
Sensors and scanners acquired include:
- eight fibre scope inspection kits and three infrared telescopic cameras (worth a combined R8.9m); and
- eight X-ray scanners (R3.5m).
The video scopes/fibre scopes are typically used for remote visual inspection of inaccessible areas by inserting a flexible, fibre-optic cable with a lens and light source. The BMA has fibre scopes at the Beitbridge, Lebombo and Maseru Bridge ports of entry.
Also procured are:
- eight multi-rotor drones acquired for R7.6m;
- two fixed-wing drones worth R6m; and
- three inshore patrol boats worth R14m, also via Armscor. These will be 9m long and powered by two 200 horsepower engines.
Schreiber told Ngobeni the BMA is under-capacitated in terms of:
- human resources for ports of entry and the border law enforcement area;
- information technology resources;
- technology for border management and control; and
- general resources for the efficient and effective management of South African borders.
Funding shortfall
“The National Treasury has not allocated the full requested funding, particularly for goods, services, and capital expenditure, which affects the BMA’s ability to invest in necessary operations and technology,” said Schreiber.
In July last year, the BMA told parliament’s joint standing committee on appropriations (JSCA) and the portfolio committee on home affairs (PCHA) its 2023/24 budget request was R2.9bn but it received less than half of this amount (R1.34bn). This allocation increased marginally to R1.4bn in 2024/25, with R1.47bn allocated for the current 2025/26 financial year.
To make up for the shortfall, the BMA requested R500m from the CARA in 2023 — but only R150m was approved.
The BMA has requested another R3.4bn in CARA funding, to be used for the procurement of additional resources.
He said there is a significant lack of investment in modern surveillance technology across all 71 ports of entry, such as:
- drones;
- high-definition cameras with facial recognition; and
- artificial intelligence capabilities.
“The current situation, with multiple non-interfacing legacy networks inherited from different departments, severely hampers information sharing and operational efficiency.”
The current outdated technology is vulnerable to cyberthreats, lacks compatibility with modern security protocols and hinders real-time information sharing across border stakeholders
— Schreiber
Many of the port-of-entry facilities are in an unsatisfactory state and require significant funding for repair and maintenance to meet international standards, he said. These resource constraints result in a number of negative impacts, including:
- porous borders vulnerable to illegal immigration, human trafficking and smuggling of illicit goods (like firearms, contraband, and cigarettes); and
- a heightened risk to national security and the economy.
Replying to another question by Ngobeni, Schreiber said the funding shortfall has been, and continues to be, a significant barrier to the BMA’s ability to effectively fulfil its mandate.
“While some successes have been achieved, adequate funding would enable the entity to invest in critical areas such as human resources, tools of trade and ICT resources that are urgently needed to ensure sustainable service delivery.”
Risk to national security
The minister explained that obsolete ICT infrastructure and unreliable network connections at ports of entry pose a serious risk to national security, as it compromises the efficiency, reliability and resilience of systems that support border management, surveillance, data protection and communication.
“The current outdated technology is vulnerable to cyberthreats, lacks compatibility with modern security protocols and hinders real-time information sharing across border stakeholders.”
The absence of essential trade tools impairs efficient and secure processing. Without key equipment like scanners, inspection devices and ICT systems, officials face challenges in accurately verifying and clearing shipments, resulting in delays and congestion. This deficiency also:
- hampers the ability to detect contraband, counterfeit goods or security threats, increasing the likelihood of illegal activities going unnoticed;
- diminishes the effectiveness of border control efforts;
- hampers operational efficiency; and
- undermines international trade protocols ultimately affecting national security and economic stability.
DefenceWeb
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