THE presence of armed soldiers during a #JusticeforCwecwe protest in Matatiele, Eastern Cape remains shrouded in controversy as the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa distanced itself from having given the green light.
Hundreds of people peacefully marching were met by heavily armed private security officers along with SANDF members already stationed at the school gate on Tuesday. The incident was captured on video footage.
The march was organised by the ANC Youth League in the Eastern Cape to demand justice for the 7-year-old Bergview College pupil who was raped allegedly on the school premises while waiting for her transport. No one has since been arrested for the October 2024 incident.
Organisers of this week’s march described the presence of armed soldiers as an unwarranted attempt to intimidate and suppress the voices of the community.
“We want to categorically state that our protest was peaceful and did not involve blocking the R56 road, as falsely reported. We condemn the spread of misinformation and urge the public to rely on credible sources. The presence of these security forces created an unnecessary atmosphere of tension and hostility, undermining the spirit of peaceful assembly and protest that is fundamental to our democracy,” said the ANC Youth League Eastern Cape.
The Presidency said: “The President did not authorise any deployment in Matatiele. The attached statement from the Defense Force affirms that there was no such deployment."
SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said the soldiers in the vicinity were solely conducting border safeguarding duties.
“We would like to express sincere regret regarding the incident where our soldiers were seen during the march against gender-based violence in Matatiele. A written situation report is awaited from the Officers Commanding of the units deployed in the area.”
Eastern Cape police spokesperson, Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said: “On the day in question, the SANDF bus was driving along the R56 near the filling station, where the South African Police Service (SAPS) had blocked the road as a precautionary measure. Since they were unable to move as the road was closed off on all sides, they stopped on the roadside, and waited outside while waiting for the road to be cleared.”
Civil military relations and defence transformation Professor Lindy Heinecken from Stellenbosch University explained that for any internal military deployment there needed to be support by the president and parliamentary oversight.
“The code name for any internal deployment in support of the police is called operation prosper. There must be a request from the police for support. That must be supported by the president and approved by parliament. There must be parliamentary oversight before such deployment can take place and that deployment must say how long the deployment is, how many soldiers are involved, what their specific task is, what the code of conduct is for that specific operation. Were they just passing by or were they standing with their rifles in a defensive position. If that was the case it was a violation of laws and regulations and should be seriously questioned. If they were just standing out their vehicles waiting for the process, that’s something else,” Heinecken said.
Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence co-chairperson Malusi Gigaba highlighted the legal implications of the alleged deployment, referring to Section 18 of the Defence Act, which necessitates that Parliament be promptly informed of any internal employment of SANDF members by the minister or the president.
The committee has now called for an urgent report from both Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga and General Rudzani Maphwanya, the chief of the SANDF, to clarify the circumstances leading to the military's involvement.
“This has not been done, hence the demand for an urgent report,” Gigaba said
Additional reporting by Mayibongwe Maqhina.
Cape Times