DA calls for full accountability as another civilian dies at the hands of SANDF

8 July 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls for the SANDF member who allegedly gunned down a 37-year-old man in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, over the weekend to be held fully accountable for his actions.

The DA calls on the SANDF to suspend this soldier, pending investigations into the matter.

We note that details about this incident are still unclear and that the allegation by the SANDF that the victim was armed is being refuted by his family. However, we have long held the view that the killing of civilians by members of the SANDF is a symptom of a much bigger problem - that of rapid deployment of troops in the streets of our country, without properly providing the necessary, and sufficient training to support them in enforcing lockdown regulations.

The DA strongly condemns the use of excessive force against citizens of this country by SANDF which has become prevalent during the lockdown, no level of provocation can justify the shooting to death of a civilian. While the army has had an important role to play in ensuring that people comply with lockdown regulations, the senseless killings of civilians are indefensible.

The DA would once again like to remind SANDF and Defence Minister NosiviweMapisa-Nqakula that this is not a war and South Africans are not the enemy. We live in a constitutional democracy and the excessive use of force by the military on civilians are therefore unjustifiable.

The fact that South Africa is sighted by the United Nations (UN) as one of the countries where cases of abuse by law enforcers in response to Covid-19 is “toxic”, paints a grim picture about country’s treatment of civilians. Since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown, civilian have been subjected to disturbing and traumatic use of force by members of the army.

The enemy is Covid-19 and the abuse committed by the army on civilians during this lockdown period is deplorable. The DA therefore, calls for the removal of the army on our streets, their deployment has led to abuse of power and unnecessary use of tough measures against the very people they we deployed to protect.

Issued byKobus Marais,DA Shadow Minister of Defence, 8 July 2020