DA calls on President Ramaphosa to deploy SANDF and immediately reconvene Parliament

12 July 2021

Note to Editors: Please find attached a soundbite by the Leader of the DA John Steenhuisen MP.

The unfolding crisis in KwaZulu-Natal, which has now also spread to other provinces, requires an urgent and firm response from government.

We cannot afford any more of the dithering and hesitancy that put us in this situation in the first place. Reluctance to deal decisively with the ANC’s internal war has now seen this morph into a free-for-all looting spree.

Credible domestic intelligence would have predicted this outcome, not to mention the fact that much of it was announced and widely encouraged on social media. What we are seeing now from law enforcement is a frantic and uncoordinated response to the violence, as opposed to a focused approach based on intelligence.

It is critical that government and law enforcement get ahead of this curve, and that President Ramaphosa takes immediate steps to quell the violence and looting.

The DA calls on President Ramaphosa to:

Authorise the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), in a supplementary role to the South African Police Service (SAPS), in targeted areas to assist with tasks such as access control and the opening of transport routes. Our Constitution allows for such a deployment.

Call for an urgent meeting with all party leaders to discuss the crisis, followed by a joint statement setting out the planned response as well as a call for law and order from all South Africans.

Call for an urgent meeting of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to devise a strategy to deal with the volatile situation and prevent the violence and lawlessness from spreading to more areas.

Reconvene Parliament, today still, to discuss the role of the SANDF, as well as issues such as the allocation of further budget for the deployment of police reservists in support of SAPS and the Public Order Policing Unit.

The President’s solemn words of condemnation in his televised address last night, along with his promises that those breaking the law will face consequences, are not enough. He needs to back these words up with decisive action, and he needs to do so today still.

Issued by John Steenhuisen, Leader of the Democratic Alliance, 12 July 2021