South Africa’s Defence Minister, Bantu Holomisa, says the country should not allow defence capabilities to deteriorate and is calling for carefully structured partnerships with the private sector. Holomisa argues that such arrangements could help mobilise investment and specialist expertise to support efforts to strengthen the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). He also emphasizes that any partnership model must protect national security interests and preserve state ownership. The proposal is presented as a way to address capacity and capability challenges while ensuring that procurement, governance, and oversight safeguards are in place. While details of the framework are not provided in the available report, the minister’s position focuses on balancing potential benefits from private sector involvement with legal and policy controls intended to limit security risks. Overall, the information indicates that the government is exploring a partnership approach rather than relying solely on traditional funding and state-run methods for defence-related improvements.