SANDF support for police sparks human rights concerns

URGED STRICT RESPECT

- KAMOGELO MOICHELA

PARLIAMENTARY Portfolio Committees on Police and Mineral Resources have urged strict respect for human rights as the SA National Defence Force begins operations in crime-ravaged areas of Gauteng and the Western Cape.

The deployment follows a directive by President Cyril Ramaphosa for the military to assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) in tackling entrenched criminal networks, including illegal mining syndicates, violent gangs and construction mafias that have tightened their grip on communities.

Hundreds of soldiers have already begun moving into affected areas. The two provinces have been under heavy criminal activity in recent years. But lawmakers warned that the presence of soldiers among civilians carries serious risks if not tightly controlled.