A Parliamentary Committee has lamented the poor conditions at a military base in Khayelitsha in Cape Town which was the scene of an armed robbery in 2017.
The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Cyril Xaba, led an oversight visit to the base on Tuesday where they inspected the ammunition store which was robbed by armed men who overpowered and disarmed guards, stealing several rifles and ammunition.
"The committee was informed about various security measures that have been instituted to address the possibility of the re-occurrence of such events," Xaba said.
He said the select committee also noted the "poor condition of many of the houses occupied by married soldiers and their families" as well as the poor conditions of the roads on the base.
Xaba also said Committee members expressed their surprise during a visit to the 9 SAI BN's Light Works Troop (LWT) and Transport Park, where "numerous unserviced vehicles" were found
He said they were told that this was mainly due to severe cuts to the Department of Defence's budget.
