The Democratic Alliance (DA) says Acting Defence Minister Angie Motshekga has misled Parliament about the fate of R813.3 million ring-fenced for South African National Defence Force (SANDF) allowances.

In a written reply to a parliamentary question, Motshekga asserted that the full amount was earmarked for soldiers’ pay, yet acknowledged that R173.5 million had been “unspent” and diverted to domestic security deployment Operation Prosper, even as many troops allegedly remain unpaid.

DA National Council of Provinces member Nicholas Gotsell said, “The numbers don’t add up; this is no longer a paperwork problem but a national defence credibility crisis.” The DA has asked Joint Standing Committee on Defence co-chair Malusi Gigaba to convene an urgent sitting and compel Motshekga to provide a line-by-line breakdown of expenditure.

It has also escalated the issue to House Chairperson Cedric Frolick, arguing that failure to account for the money undermines both SANDF morale and Parliament’s oversight role.