Calls for more investment into SANDF receives support

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Independent defence analyst Helmoed Heitman has supported a call for more investment in the South African Defence Force. 

This follows a call from the South African Aerospace, Maritime, and Defence Industries Association (AMD) for urgent and comprehensive investment in South Africa’s national defence capabilities.

 AMD says the SANDF is beset by challenges, including inadequate funding and training, outdated equipment which have compromised its ability to protect South Africa’s territorial integrity and support state security services. 

Heitman says the country needs to maintain its military even when there’s peace because peace is not guaranteed.

“What we’ve done now in the last 35 years or so, we haven’t given it the money it needs to update its equipment, modernize it to close capability gaps. Ideally, if you’re going to spend money on defence, ideally you should make as much of the equipment as you can ourselves. Then you keep money in the country, you create jobs in the country and not in some other country.”

“So AMD is right on all counts, we should be investing in the defence force and in fact, we should be reinvesting within the industry. Because that A-creates employment, B- creates export earnings and gives the defence force most of its needs.”

Meanwhile, two SANDF soldiers were killed and 20 injured in a mortar attack on their base in Sake in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last week. 

VIDEO | Two SANDF soldiers killed in DRC: