2023-w2736 - 10 October 2023

John Henry Steenhuisen to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

With reference to the recent African Peace Mission to provide mediation in the war between Russia and Ukraine, what (a)(i) arms and ammunition were onboard the SA Airways plane and (ii) was the quantity of the arms and ammunition, (b) was the intended purpose of the arms and ammunition and (c) was the total cost of the arms and ammunition?

2023-w2740 - 10 October 2023

Thembekile Richard Majola to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(a) What total amount did (i) her department and (ii) each entity reporting to her pay for printed copies of the integrated annual reports in the (aa) 2020-21, 2021-22 and (cc) 2022-23 financial year, (b) who were the suppliers in each case and (c) what total number of copies of the report were printed (i) in each case and (ii) in each specified financial year?

2023-w1891 - 21 August 2023

Russel Nsikayezwe Cebekhulu to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

Whether it is a usual and/or an acceptable practice that a commercial vessel such as Lady R is permitted to dock and\or offload at one of the Republic’s naval bases, while it should have docked in the harbour of Cape Town, Port Elizabeth or Durban, as is the case with commercial vessels; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans on 21 Aug 2023

(1) On the 11th May 2023, US Ambassador Reuben E. Brigety convened a press conference and levelled allegations regarding weapons and ammunition being loaded onto US sanctioned Russian cargo vessel Lady R during the docking of Lady R in Simon’s Town in December 2022.

As stated in many previous public statements and I reiterate that nothing was loaded onto Lady R, but rather, Lady ...

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2023-w2286 - 08 August 2023

Maliyakhe Lymon Shelembe to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1) What are the reasons for the failure of her Department of Military Veterans to finalise the long-awaited subsidies public transport strategy for military veterans; (2) whether she taken any steps to keep military veterans informed of the specified reasons for the delays in finalizing the specified strategy; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

2023-w1811 - 20 July 2023

Sarel Jacobus Francois Marais to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1) With reference to the controversial visit by the sanctioned vessel, the Lady-R, in early December 2022 when she was allowed to berth in the Simon’s Town Naval Base, what is the (a) nature, (b) description and (c) purpose of the goods loaded onto the vessel at the time; (2) whether she will furnish Mr S J F Marais with copies of the valid export permit that were issued for an accompanied the goods loaded onto the vessel; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether all legislative requirements were met regarding the importation of munitions and/or any other cargo offloaded from and reloaded onto the vessel, including import and export permits, transport permits of munitions and hazardous goods, customs clearance and Reserve Bank compliance; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

2023-w2382 - 20 July 2023

Dianne Kohler Barnard to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1) Whether she will make a submission to the panel probing the Lady R docking; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) who will be held accountable for the inaction of SANDF Defence Intelligence Division regarding the docking of the Lady R in Simon’s Town, and the alleged loading and transportation of arms to Russia?

2023-w2160 - 20 July 2023

Russel Nsikayezwe Cebekhulu to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

Whether, the President, Mr M C Ramaphosa’s appointment of a three-member independent panel to lead the inquiry into the allegations of arms loaded onto the Russian vessel Lady R which were raised by the United States ambassador to the Republic, follows after her department failed to conduct a clear and concise investigation into the specified incident; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

2023-w1681 - 20 July 2023

Sarel Jacobus Francois Marais to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

1. With reference to the controversial visit by the sanctioned vessel, the Lady-R, in early December 2022 when she was allowed to berth in the Simonstown Naval Base, what are the reasons that the (a) specified vessel was not docked in any Portnet commercial port to offload her cargo and reload goods and (b) commercial Russian vessel was allowed to dock in the Simonstown harbour which is the biggest naval base in the Republic and a national strategic key point; 2. (a) who authorised the berthing of the vessel and (b) what criteria were used to allow the berthing; 3. whether any investigations have been conducted into the authorisation and/or possible irregularities; if not, why not; if so, (a) has any person been held accountable and charged since and (b) what are the relevant details; 4. what (a) are the reasons that she never issued any statement in December 2022 or thereafter on the controversial visit and nature of the goods offloaded from and loaded onto the Lady-R and (b) is the nature and description of the cargo offloaded during night hours from the Lady-R and transported in containers on trucks arranged by AB-Logistics from the naval base; 5. Whether she will furnish Mr S J F Marais with copies of the relevant import, export and transport permits; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans on 20 Jul 2023

(1) – (5) As stated in many previous public statements and I reiterate that nothing was loaded onto Lady R, but rather, Lady R was delivering equipment that was ordered by SANDF pre –Covid in 2018/19. When the pandemic struck it affected every aspect of our lives and things came to a standstill. Thus the delay delivery of the equipment. We want to reiterate ...

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2023-w1627 - 18 July 2023

Petrus Johannes Groenewald to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

(1) Whether any airplanes landed at the Air Force Base Waterkloof upon request from (a) countries, (b) institutions and/or (c) individuals in the past five financial years; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, (i) on which dates, (ii) what were the reasons for this and (iii) who requested the specified landings; (2) Whether all the correct procedures were followed when permission was granted; if not, (a) in which instances were the correct procedures not followed and (b) what were the reasons for this; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) Whether she will make a statement on the matter?

Reply from the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans on 18 Jul 2023

1) Airplanes have landed at the Air Force Base Waterkloof during the past five financial years. Please see the attached appendix detailing the authorised landings. The information is summarised as follows:


Year 2018/19 over the period 19 July 2018 to 28 March 2019

a. Countries/Institutions: BRICS countries, including Namibia, Angola, Rwanda, Zimbabwe Air Force, USA, Algeria, Botswana and Togo landed at AFB Waterkloof over ...

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2023-w2336 - 18 July 2023

Russel Nsikayezwe Cebekhulu to ask the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans

Whether the SA National Defence Force is ready and able to protect the Republic against any international terror threat; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans on 18 Jul 2023


The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is ready and able to protect the Republic against any international terror threat.

The continued decline in the budget has had an adverse effect on the department and SANDF capabilities over the MTEF. The constrained fiscal environment has forced the Department to look at prioritising all activities for optimising effectiveness and efficiency to all aspects of the ...

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