DA requests Minister Motshekga to account for ammunition theft at Bloemspruit Air Force Base

The Democratic Alliance (DA)  is calling on Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga to urgently account for the “brazen theft of ammunition” from the Bloemspruit Air Force Base, demanding a system-wide security overhaul across all SANDF installations.

DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans Chris Hattingh condemned the latest break-in as “not an isolated incident” but the “predictable result of rotten perimeter security, dead alarms, unmonitored CCTV and broken lighting.”

He said the theft, which went unnoticed by roving guards, occurred while ammunition was being stored in a hangar because the main ammunition store was considered insecure.

Hattingh added that the party has formally requested the chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Defence to summon Minister Motshekga, the Chief of the SANDF, the SANDF Chief of Logistics, and the Chief of the Air Force.

The party is demanding that, within seven days, the officials table “a dated, costed and funded base-security recovery plan with named responsible officers, deadlines and deliverables,” along with outstanding reports ordered by the committee on 28 May 2025.

These include a full report on the functioning and results of the interdepartmental working group meant to address base security, with clear milestones and funding details, and a quantified report on the total value of stolen equipment and vehicle parts across SANDF bases.

“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 has been tabled,” Hattingh said.

The May 2025 committee meeting had heard disturbing evidence of theft, encroachment, and infrastructure vandalism across various bases.

It was resolved then that an interdepartmental task team, including DPWI, DMRE, DALRRD, and Human Settlements, be established to urgently address the security crisis. However, the DA says no progress has been made.

Hattingh warned that Persistent cable theft at military bases is knocking out lighting, alarms, CCTV and comms—darkening perimeters and leaving sites blind and inviting to thieves and saboteurs, with direct national-security implications.

Hattingh said Parliament has already been briefed on widespread trespassing on SANDF bases,  due to informal settlements pressed against or inside base boundaries, fences cut, illegal electricity and water connections, cable theft, and even illegal mining and persistent farming authorised on defence land

Bases flagged for concern include Marievale, Lenz, the Defence Headquarters precinct, 93 Ammunition Depot in Jan Kempdorp, 43 SA Brigade, and the Main Ordnance Sub Depot at Wallmannsthal and Wingfield.

hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za 

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