Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, has defended putting the entire defence force on standby to assist police in enforcing lockdown regulations. She was briefing Parliament’s Joint Defence committee via a virtual meeting on the deployment of SANDF members.
Mapisa-Nqakula says when the COVID-19 pandemic reaches its peak, the SANDF will be available to provide a range of services.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has informed Parliament that in total more than 76 000 military personnel would be deployed until the end of June to enforce lockdown regulations.
Ramaphosa is obliged by the Constitution to inform Parliament of all deployments of the military. In his latest letter, he announced the additional deployment of SANDF menbers at a cost of R4.5 million.
Mapisa-Nqakula says that it is clear that the deployment of 2 800 is not enough.
“We now realise the magnitude of challenge and what seen in other countries on TV every day. The Chief of Defence Force then decided better to put all on standby. Already for the 2 800, exhaustion was setting in. At the time, it was sufficient but looking now nature of challenge, it is clear we need bigger number.”
She says deploying the entire SANDF personnel will be justified when the pandemic reaches its peak.
“We are aware of capacity in mortuaries. We believe SA, like all other countries, may see escalation of death rate as exponential curve goes up as likely to see August-September. People may lose lives. In this event, SANDF may be expected to remove bodies and bury bodies. We are ready for any eventuality.”
In the video below, President Ramaposa tells SANDF members to go and defend South Africans from COVID-19.
Field hospitals
According to the Secretary of Defence, Dr Sam Gulube, they are preparing to set up field hospitals in Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein, as well as considering the Pretoria showgrounds.
“All these will require hospital equipment, set up ICU units, very expensive, beds alone. They will have to be accompanied by ventilators; oxygen in case we run out; dialysis machines.”
Members of the committee have expressed their support to the SANDF and called on them to observe their instructions to uphold human rights while performing their duties.
Mapisa-Nqakula has again called on the public not to provoke soldiers.
“Out there, I will not defend, where wrong committed. I will not defend; I will not justify it. I will say our soldiers were wrong. But where it’s clear provocation … all of us must come out and say no, no, no.”
Meanwhile, Co-chairperson of Parliament’s Joint Defence committee, Cyril Xaba, says they will refer the matter of the leaked deployment letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thandi Modise.
On Tuesday night, a letter that was leaked via twitter by DA interim leader John Steenhuisen indicated a deployment of more than 73 000 soldiers.
I have requested the presidency to urgently confirm this information. https://t.co/hOBFs5qOMQ
— John Steenhuisen MP (@jsteenhuisen) April 21, 2020
Xaba says he received calls from the media after the letter was tweeted.
“It’s very unfortunate that we would be led by media. That was still going to be ventilated by the committee. Probably, we may have to refer the matter to the Speaker because I think the conduct was not proper.”
Complaints of improper conduct by SANDF members
The Military Ombud, General Vusumuzi Masondo, says they have received 33 complaints of improper conduct by SANDF members during the lockdown. Masondo took part in a virtual meeting.
Masondo says 12 of the complaints were lodged by members of the public, five of these have been submitted anonymously. He says some of the complaints are lacking important information.
“The complaints we have received, some were video clips, without further info like where it took place, when, what time, who are the witnesses. What we have done is to go back and for them to assist us to get more information.”
