Top Sandf General Under Fire For Publicly Criticising Politicians

Lieutenant-General Ntshavheni Peter Maphaha, the Surgeon-General of the South African National Defence Force SANDF , has been criticised for saying the country has a mickey mouse defence force because of politicians.

Maphaha made the comment at the funeral service of Sergeant Molahlehi Molahlehi in Thaba Nchu, Free State, over the weekend.

You cannot be a big brother if you are unable to wield a stick that would make people be afraid. How many of you would build a beautiful and expensive house and not fence it and protect it? I dont think any of you would do that, he said.

Constitutionally, the SANDF is mandated to protect and defend the country. If we are going to play big brother in Africa, what we give to the SANDF should symbolise that.

We are sharing our grants for the poor with people who are not supposed to share the grants. And that is because we are not protected. Our borders are porous. And they are porous because you, the politicians, have decided you want a mickey mouse defence force.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika on Monday 24 February, Dakota Legoete, the chairperson of Parliaments portfolio committee on Defence and Military Veterans, criticised Maphaha for voicing his SANDF funding concerns publicly.

The Minister and the Chief of the SANDF must intervene because we cant have generals who speak recklessly like this, Legoete said.

Even in other countries, generals cant speak like they wish because a general is a person of privilege who has the military capability and capacity that can cause instability in the country.

He added that its a problem for a general to cast aspersions on the trust between the establishment and its people. He called on the SANDFs Military Command Council to rein in on Maphaha.

A general can speak to the Chief of SANDF, minister or deputy minister, even to us as the portfolio committee. People are paying taxes which pay the generals salary to defend them, their territory and borders, Legoete said.