SANDF members raise concerns over service conditions

The Office of Military Ombud received 590 new complaints from soldiers and members of the public during the 2024/25 financial year that ended in March.

The office, which investigated complaints from serving and former members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), and from members of the public regarding the conduct of soldiers, said the number of complaints relating to the official conduct of members has been gradually declining.

In his annual report, Military Ombud, retired lieutenant-general Vusumuzi Masondo, said his office recorded an increase in the intake of new complaints in 2024/25 compared to previous financial years.

“The office managed a caseload of 662 complaints, comprising 590 new complaints received during the financial year and 72 carried over from the previous year,” Masondo said.

He said of the 590 new complaints received, 269 were submitted by members of the SANDF, raising concerns about their conditions of service.

However, Masondo said despite the internal deployment of the SANDF under Operation Proper following the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the number of complaints from members of the public about the official conduct of soldiers has remained relatively low.

“This pattern has continued for years, suggesting a sustained decline in public-facing grievances after that period.”

He said the gradual decline in the number of complaints relating to the official conduct of soldiers could be partly attributed to the outreach education his office has intensified at military bases.

According to Masondo, a closer look at the profile of complainants revealed that current SANDF members submitted the majority of complaints relating to conditions of service.

“A total of 154 complaints from serving members were received, accounting for approximately 26% of all new complaints lodged during the period under review,” he said, adding that former members lodged 142 complaints.

“Most significantly, the Office received 294 complaints from members of the public. This figure represents 50% of the total 590 complaints submitted in the 2024/25 financial year.”

A total of 114 complaints were submitted by non-commissioned officers.

The South African Army accounted for the highest number of submissions with 179 complaints, and Mpumalanga recorded the highest number of submissions with 237 during the financial year under review.

Masondo said Gauteng emerged as the province with the highest complaints at 131, followed by the Western Cape with 63, and the Eastern Cape with 37.

A total of 94 complaints were declined because complainants did not exhaust internal grievance procedures, while 25 complaints were dismissed because they did not relate to a condition of service or official conduct.

“In total, 523 complaints were resolved during the 2024/25 financial year, within the year of receipt, reflecting the Office’s sustained commitment to its mandate and a continued upward trend in resolution capacity.

“The effectiveness and integrity of these processes contribute meaningfully to institutional accountability and, as required by Section 6(6)(c) of the Act, to promote the fundamental rights of current and former members of the SANDF and public members,” Masondo said.

Defence Minister Angie Motshekga praised the Office of Military Ombud for successfully resolving complaints from SANDF members and the public, a move that contributed to low levels of litigation regarding members' service conditions.

“The performance of the Office of the Military Ombud demonstrates the need for unwavering support of its mission as it executes complaint resolution processes and tasks.

“The Office has continually met and even surpassed its defined targets. Thus, it is encouraging and commendable to indicate that by successfully resolving complaints as per mandate, the Office plays a pivotal role in the security sector governance space,” Motshekga said.

Cape Times