Opposition parties are demanding answers after an SANDF truck was reportedly sent more than 1 200km to remove tree stumps from a senior officer’s property in Pretoria.
According to reports, a military crane truck based in Oudtshoorn was ordered to abandon its original assignment and travel across the country to Major General Edward Mulaudzi’s residence in Waterkloof Ridge.
The truck’s task? To remove two tree stumps from his garden after complaints by neighbours.
The revelation has sparked outrage, and is being labelled as a blatant misuse of state resources and taxpayers’ money.
The practical and financial sense of the truck’s rerouting is also being questioned, especially when similar equipment is available at SANDF bases in Pretoria.
SANDF taken to task
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has since demanded full transparency from Defence Minister Angie Motshekga.
The party wants the movement orders, truck vehicle logs, costs of fuel, and driver hours to be made public.
“And what was the abortive cost of the incomplete Oudtshoorn task?” asked Chris Hattingh MP, DA Spokesperson on Defense and Military Veterans. “Have these been declared Fruitless and Wasteful expenditure?”
If the reports are true, the DA is calling the task a clear abuse of public funds.
“Resources were spent on private work while frontline soldiers face leaking tents, equipment shortages, and unsafe conditions.”
“This is a failure of leadership and a stark example of privilege at the top of the SANDF,” the DA added.
A history of power abuse
This is not the first time top military officials in the SANDF have faced scrutiny.
In 2021, over R1 million was spent upgrading the Army Chief’s residence – including luxury curtains and a themed children’s bedroom.
As such, the DA is calling for a five-year audit of perks for general-rank officers, benchmarked against DPSA standards.
“This culture of privilege must end,” the party added. “Every misused rand must be recovered, and accountability enforced. Frontline soldiers must come first.”
