28-05-2025
How informal settlements threaten South Africa's military bases and national security
Informal settlements are encroaching on key South African military bases, posing significant challenges to national security and operational readiness.
Image: Phando Jikelo / Independent Newspapers
Informal settlements have encroached onto 10 key South African National Defence Force (SANDF) military bases, with one reported to have cows and goats in a kraal.
This has also impacted a training centre and an ammunition depot.
The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans received a briefing by the Department of Defence (DoD) on informal settlements during an engagement with the Department of Human Settlements (DHS) on Wednesday.
The DoD suggested a collaborative effort to deal with the matter.
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The DoD listed the following bases as being compromised in the country, posing challenges to national security: Tamboerskloof - Western Cape.
Wingfield Naval Stores Depot (NSD) - Western Cape
93 Ammunition Depot - Northern Cape
Combat Training Centre - Northern Cape
Gauteng: Defence Works Training School
Marievale Military Base
Lenz Military Base
Defence Headquarters
Wallmansthal
43 SA Brigade
The DoD stated that the encroachment of illegal settlements on military bases is a significant issue and poses serious challenges to national security, operational readiness, and the safety of both military personnel and civilians.
At the Marievale Military Base, the settlement has relocated inside the unit boundaries due to the lack of a perimeter fence.
The DoD stated that there is continuous theft of vehicle parts, electric cables, office equipment, and other items from the military base.
The department further stated that undocumented nationals are living inside the unit, and within the unit, one member owns a kraal of goats and cows.
The Lenz Military Base and Defence Headquarters also did not have a fence, where theft from the SANDF was rife. Informal settlements are also located near the SANDF Military Health Service Headquarters.
Theft of vehicle parts and scrap metals was rife at the 93 Ammunition Depot, Jan Kempdorp, where the base's security lights were also removed.
The DoD said illegal electricity connections, theft of military vehicle parts, and fitting machine parts were rife at the Defence Works Training School.
At the Wallmannsthal base, it was reported that the water supply was rerouted by illegal connections to the settlement.
The department reported that illegal mining was taking place at the Duncan demolition range in the Northern Cape, which was halted on May 22, 2024.
In the DoD brief report, the SANDF said these settlements pose a risk and may have individuals or groups that pose a threat to the base, for e.g., criminals, insurgents, or spies.
The department is aware that a hostile relationship between informal settlement dwellers and military personnel can result in unrest and or violence.
According to the department, it has gone to the courts to take the matter up legally. It said that if it works with the DHS, it is confident that solutions can be found.
The DoD stated that the proliferation of squatters and informal settlements, as well as temporary housing, causes a number of social issues, including theft, crime, and environmental risks.
According to the department, the informal settlements are characterised by a lack of basic services, pollution, overcrowding, and poor waste management. These characteristics negatively impact the environment, posing a risk and susceptibility to health problems associated with informal settlements. The proliferation of squatter colonies and informal settlements is a problem that the SANDF is not immune to.
