There is a video doing the rounds on social media where a group of men dressed in SANDF (South African National Defence Force) uniform are seen stumbling out of a taxi, befuddled as they all take a leak at an open field.
Are these drunk SANDF officials?
We were unable to ascertain whether these guys were actual army officials or not. Irrespective of this, though, the sight of a large group of men dressed in army fatigue leads one to believe that they may be part of our nation’s defence.
If they aren’t, it remains unclear why they were all dressed in camo that resembles South Africa’s army uniform and where they may have gotten it.
One thing is for sure, though. The people you see in the video clip embedded below are — directly or indirectly — associated with a taxi group from Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal.
We know this by the appearance of the taxi’s registration plates which are prefixed with the unique NKR identifier.
The irony of inebriated men dressed in army fatigue and drinking Corona beer, in a year that’s been haunted by a deadly virus of the same name, can’t be unseen.
You can watch the video below:
Are this SANDF or ordinary people? Mind you it's in KZN pic.twitter.com/Nottw4oHwG
— KE SHARP (@danielmarven) December 7, 2020
If not, is this a crime?
After watching the disturbing video, the lingering question is: Did these gentlemen commit a crime by wearing SANDF fatigue?
The short answer is, yes. Section 5 and 6 of the Defence Act deal with the commercial use of army fatigue in South Africa and they state that:
“any person who, without authority, possesses or wears prescribed uniforms, distinctive marks or crests, or performs any prohibited act while wearing such uniform or with such uniform, distinctive marks or crests, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years.”
At the time of publishing this article, the identities of the men seen in the video were not known, The SANDF has yet to issue a statement on the matter.