Department of Defence

The Department of Defence is a department of the South African government. It oversees the South African National Defence Force, the armed forces responsible for defending South Africa.

Members of the Commission include the Chiefs of the service arms, as well as the Chief of Defence Intelligence as well as the Chief of Joint Operations.

The mission of the Department of Defence is to provide, manage, prepare and employ defence capabilities commensurate with the needs of South Africa, as regulated by the Constitution, national legislation, parliamentary and executive direction.

The Department’s strategic priorities are to: halve poverty and unemployment; ensure a more equitable distribution of the benefits of economic growth and reduce inequality; improve the national health profile and skills base and ensure universal access to basic services; improve the safety of citizens by reducing incidents of crime and corruption; and build a nation free of all forms of racism, sexism, tribalism and xenophobia.

Four armed services make up the forces of the SANDF:

• South African Army
• South African Air Force
• South African Navy
• South African Military Health Service