Mass shootings: SANDF deployment not the answer to killing spree – expert

The recent spate of tavern killings and brutal mass shootings have left many South Africans living in fear, and questioning whether it is time to deploy soldiers across the country.

However, experts say deploying soldiers would be a bad idea and will not do anything to prevent the shootings or bring to justice those behind them.

SANDF explicitly prevented from conducting crime intelligence

Director at African Defence Review Darren Olivier said it was important to bear in mind the number of personnel the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) can deploy internally was relatively small and dwarfed by the number of South African Police Service (Saps) police officers.

“During the Covid lockdowns, it peaked at just 8 500 or so across the entire country, meaning it was the Saps who performed 99% of enforcement,” he said.

“Even during last year’s riots, which saw the biggest SANDF deployment since 1994, the total number was fewer than 25 000, which was after calling in all the reserves, pulling people from training and other duties, and using non-infantry personnel.”

He said the recent killings were driven by organised crime and similar factors and can only be defeated through consistent, targeted and effective police investigation and intelligence work to identify and arrest the people involved and dismantle the syndicates and networks behind it.

“The SANDF is explicitly forbidden by the Defence Act from performing its own crime investigation work, so it could not replace the Saps in that,” he added.

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Residents criticise govt slow response to mass shootings

Alexandra resident Nikiwe Ntozama said the government was quick to deploy soldiers during lockdown, when it wanted to force people to stay home.

However, it has failed to deploy the SANDF now for the mass shootings.

While deploying the military was a serious task, never to be taken lightly or done without good justification, Ntozama asked what President Cyril Ramaphosa was waiting for, as this had proven to be a national crisis.

“People are dying. Is that not much of a crisis, or are they waiting for more people to die for them to react? It’s not just Soweto which needs [police tactical response team] Amabherethe,” she said.

“We also want them here in Alex, and I’m sure they won’t be enough, so let them call the SANDF and let’s see that they can actually work, apart from just harassing us.”

Meanwhile, Action Society’s director for community safety Ian Cameron recommended a skills audit in the service to determine the merit of appointments – and if there is no merit, that member must be sacked.

He said the deployment of the police tactical response team and the army were temporary solutions to stabilise areas.

However, this would not solve the root issues He noted the army was not geared or trained to fight crime. “Polygraph all members, starting with leadership, to determine whether they have been involved in any corrupt activities,” he suggested.

“If so, sack them and restore crime intelligence capabilities.”

The Saps must restore reservist capabilities, especially to support specialised units, he said, adding it was of utmost importance that these reservists did not come from the said communities for intimidation to be limited.

“Pay police members properly. Implement police devolution in the Western Cape as a proof of concept,” he said.

reitumetsem@citizen.co.za