Parliamentarian Lerato Ngobeni, the chief whip of ActionSA, has written to Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to request clarification regarding the SA National Defence Force’s (SANDF) deployment during a march in Matatiele, Eastern Cape, on Tuesday.
SANDF personnel were reportedly spotted at the march calling for justice for a seven-year-old girl who was raped in October 2024.
Although hundreds of people attended Tuesday’s march to demand justice for Cwecwe, who was raped six months ago, no one has been taken into custody.
No foreign DNA found on Cwecwe
The minor is thought to have been sexually assaulted at the sports facilities of Bergview College.
Following extensive media coverage of the case, Fundile Gade, the MEC for education in the Eastern Cape, deregistered the private college.
Cwecwe did not have any foreign DNA, according to Senzo Mchunu, the Minister of Police.
Mchunu disclosed this information a week ago when he updated the media on the case’s developments.
Mchunu said at the time that the matter was delicate and was being handled appropriately.
According to Ngobeni, they were startled to see live broadcast footage of the marching defence force members.
Minister asked to explain
“As far as we know, the people of South Africa are allowed to protest without being intimidated, and public policing is a responsibility of the SA Police Service,” said Ngobeni.
“Now we want the minister to explain to us if those [SANDF] members were deployed and why.”
She added that there are numerous rape cases involving minors, including the Cwecwe case.
“If the minister says they [SANDF members] were deployed, then she has to explain why they were not at other cases of this nature.
“The use of armed defence force personnel in what is clearly a civilian protest raises alarm about the growing militarisation of public order policing and the apparent disregard for constitutional safeguards,” said Ngobeni.
Deployment of soldiers an extraordinary measure
Ngobeni emphasised the SANDF’s role and stated that its use inside the republic’s borders is an extraordinary measure that is strictly regulated by the Defence Act and the constitution.
“Section 18[2] of the Defence Act requires that any such deployment be reported to parliament without delay, with clear details of the purpose, scope, and duration of the operation.
“We request that you urgently furnish us with the following within 24 hours: a full report on the authorisation of this deployment and a copy of the notice to parliament as required by Section 18[2] of the Defence Act.
“Failure to do that, the appropriate Gazette as contemplated in Section 19[2] and an explanation as to why the SANDF was deemed necessary for a civilian protest in a democratic state.”
