The Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested that Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans chairperson Dakota Legoete summon Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga, following the theft of ammunition from the Bloemspruit Air Force Base.

The party condemned the incident, demanding an immediate, system-wide security overhaul across all South African National Defence Force (SANDF) installations.

The DA wants Legoete to summon Motshekga, alongside SANDF chief General Rudzani Maphwanya, SANDF chief logistics Vice Admiral D M Mkhonto and Chief of the Air Force Lieutenant-General Wiseman Simo Mbambo, within seven days. It is also requesting that they table a report on the functioning and results of the inter-departmental working group in terms of time-bound workplans with set milestones and funding.

DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans Chris Hattingh added that this report must also quantify the total value of equipment and vehicle parts stolen across all base, as well as name the responsible officers, deadlines and deliverables, together with the outstanding reports ordered on May 28.

In May, the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans heard evidence of encroachment, theft and infrastructure vandalism at bases and resolved that Motshekga establish an inter-departmental working group to improve security.

“Since the Committee’s 28 May 2025 resolutions, nothing has been done: no inter-departmental working group has reported and no seven-day theft-value report has been tabled,” Hattingh pointed out.

He said the theft at the base was not an isolated incident, claiming “rotten” perimeter security, dead alarms, unmonitored CCTV and broken lighting. He added that these risks were flagged over a year ago by the Inspector General.

He highlighted that persistent cable theft at military bases was knocking out lighting, alarms, CCTV and communications, darkening perimeters and leaving sites blind and inviting to thieves, warning of direct national-security implications.

He said Parliament had already been briefed on widespread trespassing on SANDF bases, allegedly owing to informal settlements pressed against or inside base boundaries, with claims of cut fences, illegal electricity and water connections, cable theft, and even illegal mining and persistent farming on defence land.