Cape Town – Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, Chief of the South African Navy, has issued a stark warning that Cabinet-approved reductions to the SANDF workforce may be driven by what he called an “unpatriotic, sell-out” mindset — and possibly even by criminal interests.
Speaking at the Navy’s Prestige Charity Ball in Tshwane, Lobese compared the cuts to a “defence version” of what Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi described at the Madlanga Commission regarding the disbanding of the Political Killings Task Team.
He said: “The unpatriotic, and what appears to be a sellout posture of defunding the SA Navy and SANDF in general … leaves me with a question of whether the people behind … ‘nonsense’ are not busy with a mission to privatise the SA Navy and the SANDF.”
Lobese also criticised what he described as a hollow bureaucratic exercise in which the military is required to draft planning documents — such as Annual Performance Plans and Defence Reviews — that are never fully funded. “We are required to produce Annual Performance Plans … and what saddens me … is knowing very well … these will not be resourced.”
ATTENTION:🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🚨🚨🚨
Chief of the South African Navy, Vice Admiral Monde Lobese, Warns Unpatriotic Government Leaders and Sellouts Who Are Turning a Blind Eye to Maritime Crime and Endangering the Navy and SANDF, While Pushing for Privatizationpic.twitter.com/qWFwdD1Jgy
— Man’s Not Barry Roux (@AdvBarrryRoux) November 17, 2025
Lobese raised alarm over the Navy’s “prolonged absence at sea” due to the unavailability of ships and submarines, saying this has left South Africa’s coastline dangerously exposed. “Our prolonged absence at sea … should concern you as fellow patriots and South Africans.”
He went further, questioning whether those driving defence cuts might be influenced — “directly or indirectly” — by criminal networks such as drug cartels, human traffickers, or smugglers who stand to benefit from weakened maritime security.
Drawing on his own history, Lobese contrasted today’s under-resourced SANDF with the better-supported liberation armies of the past. He said: “When I was a young 17-year-old freedom fighter … we never ran short of uniform, weapons and ammunition.”
The admiral made an urgent appeal for political will to restore defence funding, warning that without it, South Africa is effectively “outsourcing” its national security. As he concluded: “Without a Navy at sea, we are at the mercy of those who wish us harm.”
Lobese’s remarks highlight long-standing tensions over defence funding. Several MPs have previously echoed similar concerns, arguing that the budget is too small to support operations, maintenance, and modernisation.
In response, the National Treasury has defended its position, stressing that budget allocations are determined by Cabinet and approved by Parliament — not unilaterally by Treasury — and noting that an additional R4.3 billion has been allocated over the medium term for key defence priorities.
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compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
