Sending in troops against rioters and looters is a ‘serious mistake’

Experts have warned against setting the South Africa National Defence Force (SANDF) on rioters as the army is not equipped or trained for widespread counter-riot operations, and having them out there heightens chances of mayhem.

It was announced on Monday morning that the SANDF has been deployed to KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to quell violence and thuggery sparked by the incarceration of former president Jacob Zuma, which has seen massive destruction to property and looting.

But director of the African Defence Review Darren Olivier, cautioned that throwing the military into the midst of the current fire could be a recipe for disaster.

Rather use troops as support for SAPS

“It would be a serious mistake in my view to deploy the SANDF as a direct force against rioters though, because they have neither the equipment nor widespread counter-riot training for the task. The potential for things to go wrong in that sort of situation is too high,” he said.

Olivier, however, said the SANDF may be able to provide support to the SAPS on a more limited basis and within existing legal boundaries.

He said they could instead be used to take over the guarding of some facilities, helping to man roadblocks, and providing aerial transport, thereby freeing up SAPS personnel for riot control tasks.

“This has been done on a number of occasions in the past and has established structures and procedures as a result,” Olivier said.

‘SAPS capable of handling the situation’

He agreed that the current violence was deeply worrying and that it was important that it was brought under control but that it had not reached a point to involve the army.

“I believe that the {SA Police Service) are capable of controlling this without SANDF involvement, but it clearly highlights serious problems within the SAPS structures especially regarding local crime intelligence capabilities,” Olivier said.

He said the debate around whether to declare a state of emergency and deploy the SANDF as part of that intervention was premature.

“I also think it’s too early to consider declaring a state of emergency and deploying the SANDF as part of that, which is a drastic step that should only be used as a last resort. We have, in my view, not reached that point yet,” Olivier said.

This in the backdrop of Economic Freedom Fighters leader threatening that his party will join the ongoing thuggery, which started as anti-Zuma jailing protests, if the army was deployed.

Intelligence and political leadership key

The EFF leader took to social media to condemn the SANDF deployment, saying the situation could only be resolved politically.

Security expert and former policeman Dawie Naude agreed, saying police found themselves dealing with politically-charged violence, which needs a political situation.

“All in all it is on government’s hands but property has to be saved and we cannot live in chaos. It is very difficult to govern in a situation where you have to force the law unto people. Police are under strain, facing lots of challenges with intelligence,” he said.

Naude said intelligence was key in such a situation so to understand what is fuelling the violence and that each day it was taking a new dimensions, becoming increasingly difficult to quell.

“It is an internal situation, with no outside influence but needs political leadership rather than the police or the army. This has happened pre-1994 and there are political mechanisms to deal with such a situation without undermining the rule of law,” he said.

–siphom@citizen.co.za