As the situation with the SA shutdown continues to escalate, calls have increased for President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to contain the chaos.
UPDATE: The Ministry of Defence has released a statement confirming the deployment of SANDF operatives in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). See full statement below.
SA shutdown: DA urges Ramaphosa to deploy SANDF
Federal leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) John Steenhuisen released a statement, on Monday, calling on Ramaphosa to deal decisively with what he terms an ANC internal war that “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,” Steenhuisen noted.
As the situation worsens in parts of Gauteng and KZN with the shutdown expected to spread out into other provinces, the DA has called on Ramaphosa to issue out the following directives:
- Authorise the deployment of 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.
What the rules say about deploying army against citizens
The Durban Chamber of Commerce has echoed calls for the army deployment in riot and looting hotspots.
“The province cannot afford for this disruptive behaviour to continue into the new week. The economic consequences will be detrimental and the impact on the economy will undoubtedly impact the country’s risk profile.
“Furthermore, we strongly condemn the violent attacks that have been made on shopping centres and major retailers. We have received reports in our city and province of several retailers that have been attacked. Such behaviour is deemed a criminal offence and undermines the rule of law,” the Durban Chamber noted in a statement.
President Ramaphosa, in his Sunday address on developments in the fight against COVID-19, warned that those involved in the shutdown riots would meet the full might of the law.
However, as of the time this article was published, law enforcement officials in Gauteng and KZN have struggled to contain the violence that is expected to spread out into other provinces.
So far, police have arrested more than 200 suspects linked to looting and public violence. But, according to the DA and Durban Chamber of Commerce, this is a state of emergency that requires the deployment of the army.
It would seem that Ramaphosa and Defence Minister Nosiphiwe Mapisa-Nqakula have heeded calls for the deployment since, on Monday afternoon, the ministry issued a statement confirming that soldiers have been sent into to control the anarchy in parts of Gauteng and KZN.
“The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has commenced with pre-deployment processes and procedures in line with a request for assistance received from the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to assist law enforcement agencies deployed in Gauteng and KZN provinces, respectively, to quell the unrest that has gripped both provinces in the last few days,” the statement read.
The deployment process is still taking place and thus, it is not confirmed what capacity SANDF will play in responding to the violence, where numerous reports of police shot and injured have surfaced.
“The duration and number of deploying soldiers will be determined based on the assessment of the situation on the ground by the relevant law enforcement agencies,” the ministry added.
This is a developing story.
