Unconstitutional diployment of soldiers in South Africa

The deployment of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) inside the country over the next four months by President Jacob Zuma is unconstitutional. The notice on the deployment was too vague. when the presidency said earlier in the day it had authorised the deployment of soldiers to Marikana, backdated to 14 September, until 31 January next year to help the police fight crime. I mean, military deployment inside South Africa, sounds like Apartheid all over again hence I am saying that, the deployment is simply not in line with the Constitution of South Africa . (read more)



TROOPS ON PARADE: SANDF to be deployed across the country.
Source: www.iafrica.com

Is the President doing this because of the Marikana Massacre? Well, my argument is that, Marikana is stable now, why deploy soldiers after peace agreement was reached or is to prevent Julius Malema to go there? It appears as if the tipping point has been reached in which the momentum of years of ineptitude finally breaks through the thin veneer of civility. Given the projected population growth, the rate of economic development and the crisis in education, it was just a matter of time before the force of the state would be challenged by poverty and inequality. This move by the African National Congress (ANC) is a tacit acknowledgement of their botched attempts at governance,
a loss of administrative control to rampant fraud, the policy failure of cadre deployment, and the inability to develop or govern civil society.
 
With the deployment, in my own opinion I think that the role of PR and communication in this was inform parliament and the general public of the reasons for the deployment of the SANDF. Inform about the locations it would be deployed, the number of members to involved and the period of time the deployment will last. So, it is imperative that the President comply with the Constitution when deploying the defence force. Democratic Alliance (DA) supported the deployment of the SANDF to help when there were "exceptional circumstances" which were beyond the resources of the police. However, we as citizens of this country cannot support the routine deployment of the defence force inside South Africa. This would cause grievance and complaint to people who were once victims of the oppressive apartheid laws. This is a nation where people should live under a safe and free-zone without fear, so these soldiers would complicate so many people's lives. This should not be supported, and South Africans must stand together to fight this. What is your take on the deployment of soldiers to this country by the President? This tells us that the ANC have failed as a government. As this area has become a problem area for Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and ANC support. Are we witnessing an attempt at the restoration of law and order or the intimidation of those trying to organise themselves in opposition to the leadership of the ANC?