The defence force says the vehicle was already in the Gauteng city on official duties.
This comes after reports – and political backlash – alleging that a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) crane truck was sent from Oudtshoorn to remove two tree stumps from Major-General Edward Mulaudzi’s yard in Waterkloof Ridge, following complaints from neighbours.
In an official statement, the SANDF called the reports misleading.
“There is no truth…that the vehicle in question came from Oudtshoorn specifically to deal with the removal of the tree stumps,” the defence force said.
“The vehicle was already in Pretoria attending to other duties when it was further assigned to remove the tree stumps blocking the street.”
The SANDF confirmed the truck belongs to its Logistics Support Formation in Lyttleton, Pretoria, and said it was only tasked to assist because the tree stumps were obstructing the road outside an SANDF residence.
This directly contradicts earlier reports stating the vehicle had been pulled from its duties in Oudtshoorn and sent across the country at taxpayer expense.
Questions around SANDF ‘privilege’ remain
For opposition parties, the SANDF’s response may raise as many questions as it answers.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has demanded full transparency from Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, and wants the movement orders, truck vehicle logs, costs of fuel, and driver hours to be made public.
According to the DA, this is not the first time top military officials in the defence force 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. SANDF frontline soldiers must come first.”
