The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga to provide detailed information on the expenditure of R2.4 billion on chartered flights for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) over the past five financial years. According to a written reply to a parliamentary question, the department spent R2,395,521,275 on chartered flights from 2021/2022 to 2025/2026. The DA has expressed concerns over the lack of transparency in the expenditure.
The annual breakdown of the expenditure is as follows: R15,492,850 in 2021/2022, R753,797,591 in 2022/2023, R622,790,063 in 2023/2024, R629,043,694 in 2024/2025, and R374,937,076 in 2025/2026. Motshekga attributed the use of chartered flights to instances where commercial airlines were not feasible, such as accessing remote areas, medical evacuations, and peacekeeping missions. The DA has questioned the justification for the expenditure and the lack of a detailed breakdown.
The DA's spokesperson on defence and military veterans, Chris Hattingh, has criticised Motshekga for not providing a detailed item-by-item breakdown of the expenditure, including annual flight numbers and expenditure lists for deviations exceeding R1m, R5m, or R10m. Hattingh stated that the minister's replies provided general explanations of procurement processes but lacked the necessary details to scrutinise the spending. The DA has emphasised the importance of full disclosure for parliamentary oversight.
A discrepancy in the department's response has also been highlighted by the DA, with a difference of R540,000 between the total expenditure stated and the sum of the annual amounts provided. Hattingh has called for Motshekga to explain the discrepancy and provide verified figures. The DA has questioned whether the department is sloppy with public money or deliberately obscuring the truth.
The DA has criticised Motshekga for overlooking the error, particularly after citing data accuracy and double-counting prevention as reasons for withholding the detailed breakdown. The party has stressed that providing complete records is essential to answering questions about the expenditure. The DA has confirmed that it will submit further written parliamentary questions with a firm deadline to secure the missing data.
According to Motshekga, the aircraft were procured through a combination of standard travel management processes, supply chain management deviations, and emergency or operational procurement mechanisms. The DA has requested detailed information on the procurement processes and the use of deviations. The party has maintained that the minister must provide parliament with a complete and accurate account of the expenditure.
The DA's demand for transparency comes amid concerns over the accountability of public funds. The party has reiterated that the people of South Africa deserve answers, not evasion. The outcome of the DA's further parliamentary questions and the response from Motshekga's department remain to be seen.
Key points
- The DA is demanding a detailed breakdown of the R2.4 billion expenditure on chartered flights for SANDF.
- A discrepancy of R540,000 has been found in the department's response.
- The DA has threatened to submit further parliamentary questions to secure the missing data.
