Ithumelele Radebe
The news by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the army will be deploying to areas where the construction mafia and illegal miners are operating has been warmly received by the South African National Defence Union (Sandu).
An army deployment, according to Sandu, is “long overdue” and will aid in “restoring law and order” in these areas, Sandu said in a statement they made on Monday in response to the President’s address.
In letters to Amos Masondo, the chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, and Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the speaker of the National Assembly, Ramaphosa said last Thursday that he was deploying over 800 soldiers to combat crime in the nation. Sandu’s declaration follows this confirmation.
In locations where the police were unable to keep up with the level of criminality, Ramaphosa said that the army would be sent in. Additionally, he stated that once the police had brought law and order back to these districts, the army would move to withdraw , therefore making Sandu deployment temporary.
According to Sandu, the nation’s construction mafia and illegal mining organisations are better suited for combat by the army. According to Pikkie Greeff, secretary-general of Sandu, soldiers are better prepared and skilled to cope with these highly armed and dishonest crooks.
“The most important thing here is the difference between soldiers being involved in assisting the police in combating crime in the normal sense of the word and the specific scenario is that we all know that these Zama Zamas are apparently heavily armed and are very unscrupulous and they don’t mind getting involved in gun fights and so I think probably soldiers are best qualified to go and handle that situation,”says Greeff.
Greeff went on to add that ,“What really we are talking about is an occupation of certain areas, it’s like invading a certain area and simply holding the fort there, and that is what will be needed, and of course that is what you need the military for.”
Sandu’s remarks coincide with the nation’s ongoing struggles with the issue of illicit mining and construction mafia.
A number of violent episodes involving Zama Zamas, undocumented miners who frequently labour in hazardous conditions and carry weapons, have occurred in recent months.
Along with slowing projects around the nation, the construction mafia has also been accused of threatening workers and demanding money from contractors.
In certain regions, the government has sent in the army to support the police in their efforts to battle crime; nevertheless, Sandu believes that the army should be more actively involved in taking on the criminal organisations that control illicit mining and construction.
“We need to make sure that the army is properly equipped and trained to deal with this specific threat,” Greeff said. “We also need to make sure that the army is given the necessary logistical support to carry out its mission effectively.”
