Parliament - Indiscipline in the SA National Defence Force continues to grow, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said on Wednesday.
There are “serious problems of discipline within [its] ranks”, she told MPs, opening debate in Parliament on her department's budget.
Two years ago, her predecessor Lindiwe Sisulu spoke on the same problem.
“There is a problem with discipline... a serious problem of discipline in the defence force,” she told members of Parliament's defence and military veterans portfolio committee at the time.
On Wednesday, Mapisa-Nqakula suggested the problem still exists, and is getting worse.
“While we do have many women and men who are part of a dedicated and disciplined force making us proud everyday, I have also noted growing trends of incidents of indiscipline creeping into our defence force.”
She had ordered service chiefs and commanders to “take direct responsibility” for enforcing discipline.
Mapisa-Nqakula also called for the military justice system to be strengthened to help senior officers deal with disciplinary cases “in a decisive manner, ensuring quick and decisive resolution of cases”. - Sapa