The funding crisis has become so severe that defence pundits are proposing the hitherto unthinkable -- that South Africa reduce its Air Force to just an Air Wing, which comprises fewer than 75 aircraft, as Ireland and New Zealand have done.

We are told that in South Africa 19 million people out of the total population of 62 million are on social welfare grants. This is not sustainable. Given the lack of support for business by government and the resultant gradual disinvestment, combined with population growth above GDP, unemployment will get worse and the ability to fund social welfare will decrease.

Already government is saying that it cannot afford the current level of social grants. Yet the money must be found -- particularly in an election year.

The easiest budget to cut is defence spending, especially as South Africa has no immediate threat. In the unlikely event of an invasion, alliances (viz a southern African Nato) to protect territorial sovereignty in the region should be agreed, possibly with the "big brother" inclusion of either the US or China.

There are therefore increasing calls to "right-size" the SANDF.

The SA Air Force (Saaf) is on its knees with some pilots flying less than 10 hours per year. It is telling that the entire Saaf budget is less than the cost of a single Usaf fighter squadron. Yet the first casualty of defence cuts is likely to be the Saaf -- with...