What is the SANDF there for?
2008-05-27 08:21
Dear Editor,
I refer to the article published recently about the SA National Defence Force Union (Sandu) condemning the deployment of troops to fight the Xenophobia-related attacks.
"The calling of the military to deal with a situation which falls directly within the responsibility of the law enforcement agencies of South Africa is undesirable," said secretary Pikkie Greeff.
Greef claims that the SANDF's job is to protect the country from military aggression. Basically what he means is that SANDF is wartime insurance policy, and how dare we expect them to actually provide some form of benefit to the country and the tax payer!
We all know the real likelihood of a military invasion on South Africa is about as likely as Mugabe winning an award for Human Rights. Sandu forgets is that is the taxpayer that pays the salaries of the military! So my question is "What is SANDF doing? What is the taxpayer getting for the millions and millions of rands we spend on SANDF each year?"
I think it is absolutely ridiculous that we employ so many people to sit around and twiddle their thumbs, and yet they have the audacity's to complain when we actually expect them to do something in the name of safety and security. What the heck are they there for?
Greef says: "It is morally, legally and politically indefensible and would carry with it the message that soldiers were free to be abused for political ends."
Ok, lets talk about morals. Which would be more immoral? 1)To expect the SANDF to help the police fight the onslaught of violence and murder that is ravaging our country or 2)To sit back and watch 100's of innocent men, women and children being slaughtered by bloodthirsty mobs?
Secondly Greef says that soldiers are going to be abused for political ends. Whoever said anything about politics? What has xenophobic attacks on foreigners got to do with local politics? If they where asked to control some or other political meeting, I would understand and agree with such a comment, but this is not a political issue, it is a matter of security, safety, justice and basic human rights violations.
To complain that this request is outside of SANDF jurisdiction is proof of a pathetic indifferent attitude that we should all ashamed of! It would be a sad day, the day that our military would turn their back on people who are desperately in need of protection within our very borders!
Leonard Long,
Plattekloof
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