Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence have noted that the long-awaited inaugural 2026 Defence Industry Lekgotla is taking place after years of constrained defence funding, declining acquisition opportunities and broader economic pressures that have placed substantial strain on the Department of Defence (DOD).
The Defence Industry Lekgotla, held at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria, hosted about 300 delegates from government, the defence industry, labour and academia.
The Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Major General (Retired) Bantu Holomisa asked that the Legotla start with an honest assessment of the current state in the DOD. General Holomisa said the many challenges facing the Department of Defence and the defence portfolio as whole were well known, such as infrastructure backlogs and the many military facilities requiring maintenance and modernisation.
Major General Holomisa cited issues such as servicing of prime mission equipment, military housing and health facilities as well as funding, skills development and research. “The reality is that the department has substantial responsibilities, but the resources available to meet all those responsibilities are limited,” he said.
Members of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence welcomed the Legotla, noting its contribution to advanced manufacturing, skills development, research and innovation, technology development, employment creation and export earnings. They emphasised that a sustainable industrial defence base contributes not only to national defence, but also to broader industrial development
Mr Phiroane Phala, the Co-Chairperson of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, said it was worth noting that Parliament’s defence committees have been calling for such an engagement for some time. The fact that we have now arrived at this point is a positive development, and we welcome the opportunity to contribute constructively to these discussions, said Mr Phala.
Mr Phala further said: “Our understanding of sovereignty must reflect the realities of modern warfare and modern defence technology. Sovereign capability does not necessarily mean that every capability must be produced entirely within our borders. Rather, it means that South Africa must retain the ability to maintain operational freedom, protect critical technologies, sustain essential capabilities, and make strategic decisions in the national interest.”
“The reason for Parliament’s repeated calls for this Lekgotla is rooted in the committee’s ongoing engagement with the defence industry over many years. Through engagements with organisations such as the Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association, as well as various South African defence companies, and through the committee’s oversight engagements with institutions such as the National Conventional Arms Control Committee, Parliament has gained a deeper appreciation of both the opportunities and challenges facing this sector,” said Mr Phala.
During his opening address, the Minster of Trade and Industry, Mr Parks Tau, warned that South Africa should not be a bystander in the defence industry. He said the South Africa has a base to compete with the rest of the world; the only hindrance is coordination. Mr Tau also said Cabinet's approval of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) own 30-year force modernisation strategy, Journey to Greatness, is a welcome first step toward giving the industry the predictable, long-term demand signal it has lacked for three decades.
Mr Dakota Legoete, who chairs the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, said both members of the Portfolio and Joint Standing Committee on Defence are not attending the Legotla as observers. “We participate because we represent the people of South Africa, and because our constitutional mandate requires us to exercise oversight over the executive and the defence establishment. Our role is to contribute constructively to these deliberations, while also ensuring that the outcomes of this Lekgotla translate into actions that advance the public interest and strengthen our national defence capability,” he said.
Mr Legoete told delegates that Parliament oversight was will not end when the Lekgotla concludes. The Portfolio Committee, together with the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, will monitor the Minister’s response to the resolutions adopted and the final plan put forward. “We will exercise oversight over the implementation plan that follows and assess progress against the commitments made during this Lekgotla. Where needed and identified, we will also drive the necessary legislative process.”
Major General Holomisa also suggested that, for the Lekgotla not to become another talk shop, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence should ensure that discussions on public-private partnerships in defence become a standing agenda item at all their meetings.
Jabulani Majozi
21 July 2026
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