PRETORIA, Thursday 15 October 2026 — The Democratic Alliance (DA) says the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been instructed to terminate Project Kgala, a controversial military cooperation programme with Cuba that has faced scrutiny over procurement irregularities and expenditure.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the DA welcomed what it described as an instruction to end the programme, which succeeded the earlier Project Thusano arrangement.
However, the party acknowledged that the programme had not yet been fully terminated and that existing training activities were expected to continue.
The Department of Defence has not independently confirmed the termination timetable in the material reviewed.
DA welcomes reported termination instruction
The DA said the instruction followed years of parliamentary scrutiny, findings by the Auditor-General of South Africa and questions about the legality and value of military cooperation arrangements with Cuba.
Project Kgala was introduced as a successor to Project Thusano, which involved technical assistance, military training and maintenance services.
The DA has repeatedly argued that the arrangements were excessively expensive and failed to demonstrate sufficient benefits for South Africa’s defence capabilities.
The party said the reported termination instruction should now be followed by a transparent and legally compliant process.
It also called for the disclosure of outstanding contractual obligations and the costs associated with ending the programme.
Billions spent on military cooperation
According to figures cited by the DA, the Department of Defence informed Parliament in March 2025 that Project Thusano had cost approximately R3.04 billion over a decade.
The party said the Auditor-General identified R1.699 billion in irregular expenditure associated with the earlier arrangement.
It also cited R278.6 million in irregular expenditure under Project Kgala.
These figures relate to different periods and arrangements and should not be treated as evidence that the entire expenditure was stolen or lost.
Irregular expenditure refers to spending that did not comply with applicable legal or financial requirements.
The DA argues that the findings demonstrate weaknesses in procurement controls and the management of international military cooperation agreements.
Parliamentary committee previously raised concerns
Project Kgala has been the subject of parliamentary scrutiny.
In an earlier budgetary review, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans noted findings of irregular expenditure involving both Project Thusano and Project Kgala.
The committee called for the status of Project Kgala to be clarified and indicated that the programme should be terminated if the irregular expenditure findings remained unresolved.
It also requested information about the department’s proposed course of action.
The DA has maintained that renaming or restructuring an arrangement does not resolve underlying procurement problems.
Questions over training and maintenance costs
The party also raised concerns about the cost of training SANDF personnel in Cuba.
According to the DA, some personnel trained abroad have faced difficulties obtaining recognition of their qualifications in South Africa.
It cited Auditor-General findings concerning medical students who were required to complete additional training before meeting local professional requirements.
The party also questioned expenditure on aircraft chartering and technical services provided through the cooperation arrangements.
It wants the Department of Defence to disclose the contracts, flights and training activities associated with the expenditure.
Termination process remains unclear
The DA acknowledged that the reported instruction did not amount to an immediate shutdown of all activities under Project Kgala.
Existing courses are reportedly expected to continue, although the party said no final termination date or comprehensive cost estimate had been disclosed.
The DA has called for a detailed exit plan identifying active agreements, outstanding payments and arrangements for students currently undergoing training.
The party also wants a reconciliation of expenditure incurred under the various military cooperation programmes.
The next step will be to establish the formal terms of the reported termination instruction and how the SANDF intends to implement it.
Until those details are confirmed, the programme’s final closure date and remaining financial obligations remain unclear.
