By Akani Nkuna
The SA National Defence Force has denied that its members were deployed to monitor a recent community #JusticeForCwecwe protest in Matatiele in the Eastern Cape.
Thisfollows a video circulating on social media showing soldiers at the march.
There have been demonstrations across the country over the rape of a seven-year-old girl, allegedly at Bergview College in Matatiele.
“We wish to state that the SANDF has members in the area on border safeguarding duties and nothing else,” read a statement issued by the SANDF on Wednesday.
“We would like to express sincere regret regarding the incident where our soldiers were seen during the march against gender-based violence in Matatiele.”
It said the SANDF was a gender sensitive organisation and supported gender programmes.
“We are cognisant of the unacceptable high levels of gender-based violence, and the prevalence of violence against women and children, and support any intervention by institutions and citizens aimed at dealing with violence against our women and children.”
The statement follows the Economic Freedom Fighters and the Joint Committee on Defence demanding answers.
They questioned the military’s presence, calling for transparency and accountability from the SANDF regarding the role of its members during the event.
“While employment of members of the SANDF is a prerogative of the president and the Minister, Section 18 (2) and (3) of the Defence Act stipulates that of the president or the minister employs members of the SANDF internally as the Section 201 (2) of the Constitution, they must inform Parliament promptly,” said co-chairperson of the committee, Malusi Gigaba.
The committee further said that the demonstrations did not constitute an extraordinary event or pose any threat to life that would justify military involvement.
It said public protests fell squarely within the operation capacity of the police who were adequately trained and equipped to manage such situations without military assistance.
“The report by the Ministry of Defence and the chief of the SANDF must include reasons of the employment (if there was one), why Parliament was not informed and cost associated with the employment,” said Phiroane Phala, the co-chairperson of the committee.
The EFF formally approached National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza to seek clarity on several key aspects surrounding the deployment of the SANDF.
“Did the president formally communicate to Parliament his intention to deploy SANDF to assist the SAPS in providing security at the protests for justice for Cwecwe? If so, may you urgently share the letter the president sent to Parliament in this regard,” asked EFF Parliamentary chief whip Nontando Nolutshungu.
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