SANDF warns underfunding and lack of control over fuel threaten national security. Fuel must not become a political cash cow.
Traditionally, the country’s top military sailors – those in charge of the SA Navy arm of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) – have adopted such a low public profile when it comes to state defence policy that one might think they are all submariners.
Yet, of recent times, a few of them have surfaced to above periscope depth to send warnings to Union Buildings that the navy – and broader defence force – risk perishing through neglect by the politicians.
Last month, Navy chief Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese went public with his concerns that the underfunding of his arm of the SANDF had reached such a critical point that it would soon not be able to carry out its mandate to protect our coastline and adjacent sea lanes.
Now, his dire words have been followed by the chief of logistics at the department of defence, Vice-Admiral David Mkhonto, who also happens to be a navy man.
In a recent presentation to the National Council of Provinces, he voiced his concern about the fact that the military has no control over, or easy access to, fuel supplies or the country’s strategic fuel reserve.
ALSO READ: Committee blasts SANDF for ‘insult’ on DRC rotation presentation
He made the point that, ironically, the SANDF is charged with protecting the maritime routes through which large volumes of the country’s petroleum products flow, but cannot easily access those in an operational emergency.
We agree with Mkhonto that military access to fuel should be a national strategic priority and that, in times of a national emergency, private or foreign entities should not hold a whip hand over this vital resource.
However, given the physical scale and immense monetary value of fuel imports into this country – and of the strategic fuel reserve – we would caution that this sector should not be turned into yet another piggy bank for the politically well-connected.
Fuel cannot become Arms Deal 2.
