NATIONAL NEWS - Concerns have been raised over the Presidency’s decision to deploy South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops to Parliament during the State of the Nation Address (Sona), with the Democratic Alliance (DA) criticising the move and the Right2Know Campaign calling it controversial.
The Presidency on Tuesday night announced that President Jacob Zuma had authorised 441 SANDF members to be deployed at Parliament between 5 and 10 February to maintain law and order.
DA chief whip John Steenhuisen says it will seek an urgent meeting with National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete on the matter.
“We have already had several rulings from the courts around the use of military and the army on the precinct and the potential it has for tyranny and intimidation. This is a people’s precinct, it should be a precinct of democratic discourse, discussions and debate.”
The Right2Know Campaign’s Murray Hunter says, “It’s a very controversial thing to bring the military. Even the South African Police Service has operational command. We know that the military is there for different purposes.”
