The 2025 budget would have directed government to add R252bn to its spending plans over the next three years, including increased funds to the defence department for the deployment of troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This is according to budget documents which were shared with journalists and economists at the budget lock-up on Wednesday but were not tabled as Cabinet failed to approve the budget. The budget was subsequently postponed to 12 March.
In the documents, Godongwana has pencilled in R1.8bn for the deployment of SANDF soldiers in the war-torn eastern DRC for the 2025/2026 financial year, followed by R1.7bn in 2027 and a further R1.4bn in 2028. This will bring total spending on the deployment of SANDF troops in the DRC to R5bn in the next three years, where they are stationed as part of a Sadc peacekeeping mission.
The deployment has been a source of controversy for several months and this was recently heightened when 14 SANDF soldiers were killed in clashes with M23 rebels.
Several parties in parliament such as the DA, EFF and the FF Plus, have called for the withdrawal of SANDF troops from the region, arguing they were not equipped or sufficiently armed to take on the conflict between the M23 rebels and the DRC government forces. They argued this was largely due to budget cuts the National Treasury had imposed on the department of defence in the past few years.
Budget documents show the SANDF presence there is likely to continue at least until 2028.
TimesLIVE
BUDGET 2025 | Another R5bn over three years to keep SA troops in DRC
Godongwana has pencilled in R1.8bn for the deployment of SANDF soldiers in the war-torn eastern DRC for the 2025/2026 financial year
Image: Esa Alexander/Reuters
The 2025 budget would have directed government to add R252bn to its spending plans over the next three years, including increased funds to the defence department for the deployment of troops in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
This is according to budget documents which were shared with journalists and economists at the budget lock-up on Wednesday but were not tabled as Cabinet failed to approve the budget. The budget was subsequently postponed to 12 March.
In the documents, Godongwana has pencilled in R1.8bn for the deployment of SANDF soldiers in the war-torn eastern DRC for the 2025/2026 financial year, followed by R1.7bn in 2027 and a further R1.4bn in 2028. This will bring total spending on the deployment of SANDF troops in the DRC to R5bn in the next three years, where they are stationed as part of a Sadc peacekeeping mission.
The deployment has been a source of controversy for several months and this was recently heightened when 14 SANDF soldiers were killed in clashes with M23 rebels.
Several parties in parliament such as the DA, EFF and the FF Plus, have called for the withdrawal of SANDF troops from the region, arguing they were not equipped or sufficiently armed to take on the conflict between the M23 rebels and the DRC government forces. They argued this was largely due to budget cuts the National Treasury had imposed on the department of defence in the past few years.
Budget documents show the SANDF presence there is likely to continue at least until 2028.
TimesLIVE
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