It’s hard to have faith in tinpot soldiers

The coronavirus crisis is unprecedented in SA’s history – and it has the potential to wreak more havoc than any other phenomenon, natural or human-initiated.

So, it is understandable that the government wants to maximise its resources in the fight to keep the virus at bay for as long as possible.

It should not, therefore, be a surprise that President Cyril Ramaphosa this week formalised plans to use the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) in its role of “support to the civil power”.

However, many people were, quite understandably, concerned that the call-up of the military signified a hardened stance by government on enforcing the lockdown restrictions.

It did not help that Ramaphosa’s announcement – and his request to parliament to approve the “employment” of the SANDF – was rushed and, according to some people, not fully compliant legally with parliamentary or constitutional requirements.

It also did not help alleviate the sense of unease among many citizens when two senior military commanders came across as arrogant, tinpot soldiers when addressing the parliamentary committee of defence. They implied they were accountable only to their “commander-in-chief”, Ramaphosa.

Even allowing for the probability that these soldiers are not versed in the art of communication, their demeanour is worrying, particularly as it came on the back of multiple, credible, reports of troops abusing people they accused of breaking lockdown regulations.

However, it is also heartening to hear that the call-up claims to be focused on beefing up skills within the SANDF to help cope better with matters of logistics and medical services.

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures – but these should never be accepted as the norm.

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