Independent defence analyst Helmoed Heitman has supported a call for more investment in the South African Defence Force.
AMD says the SANDF is beset by challenges, including inadequate funding and training, outdated equipment which have compromised its ability to protect South Africa’s territorial integrity and support state security services. “What we’ve done now in the last 35 years or so, we haven’t given it the money it needs to update its equipment, modernize it to close capability gaps. Ideally, if you’re going to spend money on defence, ideally you should make as much of the equipment as you can ourselves. Then you keep money in the country, you create jobs in the country and not in some other country.”