DA leader John Steenhuisen has slammed police minister Bheki Cele for deploying the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) to keep residents off beaches on the Garden Route.
This week Cele said the deployment of soldiers was to help enforce lockdown rules after 300 police officers tested positive for Covid-19 and 800 were in isolation. “We have requested to have soldiers work with members of the police service because our own numbers are down,” said Cele.
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Steenhuisen said SANDF members could be used to tackle far more serious issues like crime, rather than “chasing down surfers on the beach and the confrontation of sunbathers and joggers on promenades”.
He said Cele’s priorities were skewed and condemned the deployment. “Government was banning the sale of cooked food, cigarettes and telling citizens what they could wear, while other countries were busy with Covid vaccine plans. Now Cele is sending the army to the beaches while communities live in fear of real criminals. Priorities are mixed up,” Steenhuisen said.
He said the DA, over the years, had requested the deployment of the SANDF in gang-ridden areas of the Cape Flats, but the requests have “always fallen on deaf ears”.
He also questioned national police commissioner Khehla Sitole’s role in the deployment. “The SA Police Service are accountable to the minister but not under his command and it is worrying that the commissioner seems to have handed minister Cele the reins without so much as a pushback about the way his men and women in blue are being deployed,” said Steenhuisen.
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Steenhuisen said the deployment of SANDF to patrol beaches was an admission of failure on Cele’s part. “It is becoming increasingly clear that our national security personnel are being misused to serve the authoritarian agendas of ANC ministers hell-bent on controlling rather than governing.”
Steenhuisen’s statement drew mixed reaction on social media. Some sided with Cele’s decision, while others said the deployment was an “abuse of power”. Here is a snapshot of some of the reactions.
As it it stands you condemn everything government does that your backers don’t like.. even if what you say doesn’t make any sense at all. That my friend is poor leadership if not remote controlled leadership
— Reuben Phala (@ReubenPhala) January 7, 2021
Do we really have to cry about not being allowed to go to the beach 🙄 I think priorities of citizens are mixed up as well… OR maybe I’m speaking from a position of privilege ~ since the FS is not on the coast ao no beach option pic.twitter.com/MflW6eP9S3
— Ntate_Sam (@Ntt_Sam) January 7, 2021
The fact that you missed the opportunity to make a Point Break reference is more disappointing than the rhetoric of this tweet.
— Oh Be-Dave Yourself (@TheDavidAlves) January 7, 2021
Abuse of power + terrorizing a people at peace. Marxists like Cele chose the side of evil and will have to bear full responsibility for their own actions.
— Lion829 (@Lion8291) January 7, 2021
And the border control is a absolute shambles, which the army should deployed to control
— DJBanger (@DJBanger6) January 7, 2021
Mr Steenhuisen, what are you going to do about it. This cannot continue!
— lvdl01 (@lvdl01) January 7, 2021
