Keep commandos, says DA

2003-05-15 19:31

Cape Town - The commando units should be retained and given the additional empowerment they need to protect the safety and security of all South Africans living in rural areas, the Democratic Alliance said on Thursday.

In a members' statement in the National Assembly, DA MP Paul Swart said rural communities "are under attack".

"They are robbed, raped, assaulted and murdered on a daily basis. And while this flood of violence is ravaging the rural communities, the government is playing political games.

"The increase in manpower or the implementation of sector police provides no hope. Most of the new police officers will be deployed at urban stations and will make no impact on the situation in rural areas.

"The commando units have been made the target of a political game, and this game must stop immediately," Swart said.

In another members' statement, New National Party MP Johnny Schippers called for the establishment of a constabulary to replace the commandos.

The NNP believed the creation of a constabulary was a logical, effective and affordable alternative to the current commando system, Schippers said.

Briefing the media after Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, government communications (GCIS) head Joel Netshitenzhe said Cabinet had "reiterated government's decision about new measures to enhance rural security, including a six-year transition from the SANDF commando system to the SAPS sector policing system which includes SAPS reservists".

"It emphasised, as the President recently explained, that this would be handled in such a way that there would be no vacuum at any point in the transition; there is no 'phasing out' of security for rural communities," he said.

The South African Police Service and South African National Defence Force were planning jointly to deal with such matters as deployments, infrastructure and finances regarding the transition and the new system.

An audit of existing commando units would be completed by the end of the year, and the public would be kept informed and requested to make a contribution to this process, Netshitenzhe said.

- SAPA