Deputy Speaker, the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Lindiwe Sisulu, took command of the defence department a year ago. Since then the Minister has notched up some significant achievements, not least the deployment of the Defence Force to safeguard the landward and maritime borders of our country.
However, these achievements have been overshadowed by the secretisation, or perhaps more correctly, the resecretisation of virtually all matters relating to the Defence Force. This has had the effect of building up suspicion, breaking down trust and effectively insulating the Defence Force from any proper scrutiny and oversight by Parliament. The fact is that the Minister is fast turning the Defence Force into a state within a state.
I am sure that most hon members are familiar with Senator Owen Horwoord, the less than hon Minister of Finance during the information scandal, who signed payment cheques without looking at them or checking on the purpose of the expenditure.
The fact is that if this Parliament supports the defence budget, then Parliament is in danger of doing a collective Owen Horwoord: effectively signing a cheque for R3,7 billion, made out to the defence department without really knowing on what or to what effect the money is being spent.
This we will not and cannot do. The DA will therefore not support the Defence and Military Veterans budget for the 2010-11 financial year. I thank you. [Applause.]