iAfrica

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Soldiers Won’t Be Deployed Against The People Of SA – SANDF

SAPS members and SANDF soldiers deploy in the Mitchells Plain area in Cape Town to enforce the Disaster Management Act and to ensure the adherence of the lockdown regulations on 20 April 2020. Picture: @SAPoliceService/Twitter

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) says that should President Cyril Ramaphosa authorise the deployment of troops to support the police to contain further unrest, it would be to preserve life, health and property and would not be “against people”.

The SANDF’s response comes following reports of an internal document shared internally placing soldiers on stand-by for deployment in light of the insecurity in the country.

Director for the SANDFs corporate communication, Brigadier-General Andries Mahapa said that defence force seniors had stressed that the document was never intended for public consumption, and it remains an internal document meant for planning and coordinating purposes internally within the SANDF.

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