JOHANNESBURG - National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, has been given 24 hours to explain what legal authority was given before the SANDF deployment in parts of Johannesburg.
Ian Cameron, National Assembly Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police wrote to Masemola following raids conducted by the SANDF in gang riddled communities of Johannesburg. Cameron gave Masemola 24 hours to respond.
On Wednesday armed members of the SANDF descended on the streets of Johannesburg.
They started in Eldorado Park, one of the city’s crime hot spots before moving to Westbury and Sophiatown.
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In Westbury, apartment blocks were raided with couches and beds turned upside down and cupboards flung open.
In one house dagga was found. In another, a resident expressed frustration claiming he was being harassed by authorities, who continue to raid his place in hopes of finding drugs and guns.
But, Cameron who has now weighed in on the matter, provided a rather different version to the deployment.
He claimed it was totally wrong and not approved by Parliament.
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Detailing the events leading up to this moment, Cameron said last week, the SAPS alongside the Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia had a briefing with the Police Portfolio Committee wherein they were unable to indicate when a joint training of the members would take place.
“There were still a lot of question marks regarding the deployment, and they were also unclear about exactly what the arrangements would be regarding command and control.
“Followed by that, on Friday, there was a joint Standing Committee on Defence meeting, also at Parliament, where the SANDF indicated that they would not take instruction from the SAPS. Now, this is problematic, because that means that we now have soldiers doing police work without the police,” he explained.
Cameron said there had been a massive gap in communication between SAPS and the SANDF.
“Parliament hasn't approved any form of deployment from what we know, certainly not in terms of what was said by the President at the State of the Nation Address.
“It could be a deployment from previously, specifically focused [issues], for example, on illegal mining. But nevertheless, specifically relating to organised crime and gang violence, this deployment doesn't make sense,” he said.
According to Dakota Legoete, Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans Chairperson, the Constitution states that a letter from the President to Parliament, as the legislature, must explain the reasons, the duration, the location, personnel involved and costs for a deployment to avoid confusion on a particular scope.
Legoete said they could not oppose a proposal or directive from the executive.
“Yes, Parliament should approve that particular deployment like it has done before on any deployment.
“What we need to ensure is that we play our oversight in terms of the constitutional requirements, legislative requirements and ensuring that the human rights are fully respected,” he said
As such, Legoete said there is no crisis nor is there a need to create a panic.
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He said the deployment must be a short term arrangement and immediately thereafter, the whole process must be handed back to the police and the intelligence services to ensure sustainability.
“South Africans are living in fear. We can't be dilly-dallying, including from our side as Parliament and as the legislature, to support this.”