By AGISANANG SCUFF
20 October 2025 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Dakota Legoete has raised serious concerns about the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) neglect of its core duties. Legoete condemned reports that an army truck was used to travel more than 1200 kilometres to remove tree stumps from a major-general’s yard.
He further said it is shocking that such a poor decision was made, especially when the SANDF is already struggling with limited resources. Legoete added that this incident comes soon after the committee’s oversight visit to SANDF bases and border deployments in Limpopo, where members saw first-hand the difficult conditions soldiers face while patrolling the borders along the Limpopo River.
“Our soldiers are short of basic necessities such as uniforms, vehicles and sufficient manpower. To hear about this kind of poor prioritisation of resources adds insult to injury. SANDF senior leaders must consider a “back to basics” approach through leading by example and ensuring that every resource serves the defence of the country and the maximisation of South Africa’s defence capabilities.
“It is unacceptable for leaders to show such poor reasoning in the use of resources while ground forces struggle to do their jobs,” he concluded.
The Guardian 