- Reports show an SANDF truck was used for a Major General’s private garden work.
- The DA demands full disclosure of trip records and costs.
- The DA calls for accountability and an audit of generals’ perks.
What was the total cost of the SANDF truck with a crane that was diverted from Oudtshoorn to Pretoria?
What were the exact date(s) and times of the trip, and was the truck initially tasked to Oudtshoorn before being rerouted?
Will the full movement order and vehicle logs be made public?
And what was the abortive cost of the incomplete Oudtshoorn task; have these been declared Fruitless and Wasteful expenditure?
These are the questions the Democratic Alliance (DA) is putting to Defence Minister Angie Motshekga after reports that a SANDF truck and crane drove 1 200 km from Oudtshoorn to Pretoria to remove tree stumps at a Major General’s private home in Waterkloof Ridge.
If true, this is a clear abuse of public funds. Fuel, vehicle use, and driver time were spent on private work while frontline soldiers face leaking tents, equipment shortages, and unsafe conditions. This is a failure of leadership and a stark example of privilege at the top of the SANDF.
This pattern is familiar. In 2021, over R1 million was spent upgrading the Army Chief’s residence, including a Spiderman children’s room and luxury curtains. Once again, generals’ comforts were protected while soldiers’ readiness was undermined.
The DA demands transparency: the Pretoria trip’s movement order, written tasking, and vehicle logs must be released. All costs should be declared irregular or Fruitless and Wasteful under the PFMA. The state must recover every rand spent, and officials involved must face misconduct proceedings.
We are also calling for a five-year audit of perks for general-rank officers, benchmarked against DPSA standards. Public money must serve defence readiness, not private indulgence.
The message is simple: mission first, perks last. This culture of privilege must end. Every misused rand must be recovered, and accountability enforced. Frontline soldiers must come first.