SONA 2017 – Military deployment for one man a slap in the face of communities living in fear of gangs
The deployment of 441 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to Parliament for the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) is an insult to communities in the Western Cape who live in fear on a daily basis.
The scourge of gangs, drugs and guns in our communities leave too many people fearing for their lives and too many innocent lives lost in the cross-fire.
Calls by the Western Cape Government in the past for military assistance to maintain law and order have been met with heavy criticism from national government. We believe the additional support would allow the SAPS to continue their investigative work to rid our streets of gangsters, druglords and gunrunners.
President Zuma’s deployment of the military to parliament to protect him during the SONA 2017 clearly shows that the pleas of people in the Western Cape are not deserving of the President’s attention, or national government’s proactive action.
Last year’s promise by President Zuma during his SONA replies, that two new specialised units will be establish to deal with illegal firearms and drugs, seems to have been nothing more than lip service.
It is now one year later and we are still no closer to providing the law enforcement resources needed to address the problems our communities face.
The Western Cape supports the crime-fighting efforts of the provincial police under the management of Lieutenant General Jula. I call on the National Government Security Cluster and President Zuma to capacitate the police in the province with resources, manpower and the inter-agency assistance needed to protect those who are caught in the crossfire.
Media enquiries:
Ewald Botha
Spokesperson for MEC Plato
Cell: 079 694 1113
