The Chief of the South African Navy Vice Admiral Monde Lobese says National Treasury is compromising maritime security with underfunding the entity .
He was addressing the Joint Standing Committee of Defence on the state of the Navy as well as delays in procuring spare parts for vessels and frigates.
It is a frank and candid assessment of the South African Navy and an admission that borders are porous due to underfunding.
"The National Treasury cant be allowed to be a super department or a government on its own over and above the current government. The National Treasury has been ordered by the commander in chief to fund the SANDF to 1.7 of GDP. We are mindful of the challenges that the country is facing but that cant be negotiable," says Lobese.
The committee has undertaken to intervene.
