South Africa's Department of Defence overspent R3.6 billion on salaries, claims lack of funding

Chief Financial Officer Edem Abotsi informed the Standing Committee of Appropriations that this overexpenditure was due to insufficient budget allocations rather than mismanagement. Abotsi projected a R4.1 billion overspend for the next year if additional funds are not provided by the National Treasury, citing increasing costs per employee and an insufficient salary allocation for the current personnel structure of 72,095, which rises to 79,349 with reserves. He stated the DoD chose to pay its personnel despite budget limitations and argued that no one within the department could be held accountable for unauthorized expenditure, as underfunding was imposed by the national fiscus.

Committee member Andrew Bateman questioned this justification, highlighting the department's legal obligation to operate within its budget. Additionally, the DoD has not yet received funds for Operation Prosper, forcing it to reallocate funds from other operations. Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, however, stated that the Treasury has guaranteed the funds for Operation Prosper, viewing it as a procedural matter.