PRETORIA, Gauteng — The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is poised for a major strategic overhaul under the newly approved “Journey to Greatness” initiative, according to Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa. This comprehensive 30-year blueprint aims to rescue the military from a crippling financial crisis—highlighted by a projected R3.3 billion salary overspend this year—by systematically reversing 15 years of systemic underfunding and elevating the defence budget to 1.5% of the national GDP.
Holomisa emphasized that both the Cabinet and the National Security Council have reached a firm consensus: the historical era of defunding the military must end. While previous administrations heavily prioritized social security at the expense of military readiness, the current leadership is committed to executing these long-delayed decisions. The strategic plan now awaits formal endorsement from the defence portfolio committee before being submitted to the National Treasury for the necessary financial backing.
Addressing the structural deficits, the Deputy Minister aligned with observations previously made by Angie Motshekga, who attributed the SANDF’s operational struggles to a decade and a half of chronic budget neglect rather than inflated wage bills. To restore institutional efficiency, the revitalization strategy incorporates internal attrition measures. This includes funding early retirement packages for aging personnel to make way for a younger demographic, a transition that Holomisa stressed is entirely contingent on guaranteed fiscal support from the Treasury.
A critical component of the short-term rollout is a dramatic expansion in recruitment. Historically, the armed forces have onboarded merely 5,000 new members every two years. The Journey to Greatness framework projects an increase to 10,000 recruits annually. This aggressive hiring target is designed to cultivate a fresh pipeline of engineers, pilots, and naval specialists, ensuring no capability vacuum occurs as veteran staff exit the system.
Beyond human capital, the initiative urgently addresses the degradation of military infrastructure and operational assets. Holomisa pointed to the logistical shortcomings exposed during the 2021 civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, where deploying troops faced significant delays and were forced to utilize commercial buses for transport. Acquiring dedicated, modern logistical assets is now a primary short-term objective to ensure the military can effectively manage domestic security threats and civil disobedience.
When questioned about the immediate defensive capabilities of the republic across land, sea, and air amid reports of grounded aircraft and deteriorating naval vessels, Holomisa maintained a firm posture. While declining to outline specific vulnerabilities in the public domain, the Deputy Defence Minister affirmed that the national defence force remains prepared to react decisively to any threat facing South Africa.
