ANC monitors the deployment of SANDF during lockdown
31 March 2020
The ANC Study Group on Defence has been closely monitoring the good work done by deployed members Of the SANDF to ensure that they live up to their constitutional mandate to preserve the lives of South Africans and offer humanitarian relief during the 21 -day Lock Down due to the spread of Covid-19.
Since the lockdown has been effected, we have seen in several media platforms how members Of the SANDF are working with the citizen to enforce regulations. As the Study Group, we are of the view that more soldiers should be deployed as most parts of our country have not seen the presence of soldiers, especially where citizens are not adhering to regulations.
We support the call made by Department of Defence to call the reserves to come in and support the members on the ground.
Our observations in the midst of allegations levelled against SANDF members is that the DA wants to use this as an opportunity to advance political agenda which we will not allow as it aims to defocus us from our mission of saving lives. We are aware that most people affected by the lockdown are our people in the townships, informal settlements and rural villages where the majority of our people reside, therefore, tactics by the DA seek to expose our people's lives to danger of infection.
We must all accept that our freedom to movement is suspended and therefore the regulations are in force. We also wish to remind the DA that they also supported this suspension Of the Bill Of Rights in order for government to contain the spread Of the Coronavirus.
The reality we have witnessed over the few days is that our people find it difficult to comply with the regulations and the SANDF is assisting them to comply. The videos making rounds on social media attest that in most, if not all of those videos, it is our people who are assisted to be disciplined in order to save their lives.
We are pleading and urging our people to take Covidl 9 with the seriousness it deserves and stay at home for the remaining days of the Lock Down. Those who continue to violate the regulations should be assisted with discipline in the best interest of their lives and of those that they might put at risk.
As the ANC Study Group, we support the efforts taken by Minister Mapisa-NqakuIa to reiterate the message to the deployed soldiers to desist from using excessive force against citizens. We are in support of our soldiers to continue with the good work that they are doing in assisting South Africans during this pandemic. On the rape and murder case of a granny in KZN:
The ANC Study Group strongly condemns the act of criminality and violence that took the life of a 75 years old elderly woman in KZN, GogoGenzeniErnstine Zuma.
We learned that these criminals took advantage of the lockdown and gained access to the home under the pretence of being members of the SANDF. We wish to reiterate that the role of SANDF is to safeguard lives, not to destroy lives. We are therefore calling upon the law enforcement agencies to trace the perpetrators and jail them.
The Study Group sends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Cogo Zuma.
The Study Group will ensure that the Portfolio Committee on Defence holds the Department of Defence accountable at all material times.
Issued byThamboMmutle, Whip of the Study Group on Defence, 31 March 2020
