This is why South Africa’s generals are ‘revolting’

South Africans should expect more outbursts from senior government officials who are tired of the status quo, says political analyst Andre Duvenhage.

Duvenhage’s remarks come after the South African Navy (SA Navy) chief, Admiral Monde Lobese, criticised the government for underfunding the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

He made allegations about possible collusion between government officials and criminal cartels. He was speaking at the SA Navy gala dinner on the weekend.

“Our prolonged absence at sea due to the unavailability of serviceable ships and submarines, all because of the under-resourcing of our navy, should concern you as South Africans.

“I often find myself questioning whether those responsible for making significant decisions, particularly regarding the funding of the defence force, if they may be directly or indirectly influenced by these drug cartels, illegal traders, maritime criminals and human traffickers because it will appear that these consistent under funding and incapacitating of the South African Navy and the defence force in general is to ensure the success of the operations that undermine our nation and compromising its sovereignty and jeopardising the future of our children.

“The unpatriotic and what appears to be a sell out posture of defunding the SA Navy and the SANDF in general leaves me with a question of whether the people behind what I would like to call nonsense, if they are not busy with a mission to privatise the SA Navy and the SANDF seeing that private security is a lucrative business in the country,” said Lobese.

Another general strikes

This is not the first time that a senior general has made allegations about possible collusion between government officials and criminal cartels.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has initiated a commission of inquiry looking into the allegations made by Mkhwanazi. Parliament’s ad hoc committee is also interviewing witnesses concerning the same matter.

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What is happening behind the scenes?

Speaking to The Citizen on Thursday, Duvenhage said the country could see a revolt by senior government administrators.

“There is a belief by some senior government officials that the status quo cannot continue the way it has been continuing, and there are concerns about our security situation. The navy is the least of our problems; the bigger problem is border control, which is territorial in nature, and we already have problems with air control and with regard to the navy.

“The whole system is falling apart. We are talking about institutional decay; our army is looking like some dysfunctional municipality somewhere in the Free State or in the North West. This general is complaining that he is not being empowered to do his job, he is unable to protect the coastlines because there are illegal things coming into the country,” he said.

Duvenhage said the governance problems the country is witnessing can be directly linked to the ANC and its internal issues.

“It seems to me on a political level as if there is a revolt growing on certain levels even before Mkhwanazi spoke out. I had been picking up rumours of a possible coup d’état, but I do not think South Africa, in any way, is prepared for a coup, and I do not think it will be practical to argue that way.

“But what we can see is that there is uncertainty coming from the senior echelons and officials in the regime,” he said.

Duvenhage also believes the country’s intelligence unit is affected by the same governance issues the generals have been complaining about.

“The fact of the matter is, there is resistance and there is a revolt inside the ANC, and it has an effect on the country’s bureaucrats,” he said.

ANC SG speaks out

Meanwhile, the ANC’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, blasted Lobese for voicing his concerns during a public gala dinner.

“South Africa is faced with a difficult situation of outbursts by people in security positions. This general was not speaking in the army or with the army; he was speaking at a party or something. He was invited I saw him in a very nice suit… it is unheard of in the world that generals just address gala dinners and talk big things no man we should be worried.

“Are these people fomenting tendencies of coups d’état? They start like this when generals become politicians overnight. One day, we are going to be woken up in our rooms naked and arrested by these people who are addressing us at parties, and all of that with state secrets. This is worrisome; this is a problem.

“We must step in now in terms of discipline, this is not how countries are run and protected by senior people in the army,” he said.

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