Troops must not use ‘excessive force’, warns Mapisa-Nqakula
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has warned troops from the South African Defence Force (SANDF) not to use excessive force when engaging members of the public.
Nqakula’s comments come after numerous videos emerged on social media, showing troops roughing up South Africans who fail comply the with 21-day lockdown regulations.
Members of the SANDF are patrolling the streets to assist the police in enforcing the lockdown as the country battles the spread of COVID-19.
“We want to say to our soldiers to not abuse people. They should not use excessive force, as the president said the other day, when he was commanding and ordering them to go. He did say that in the event that people were resisting they should be nudged to comply,” she said.
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The department over the weekend also called up members of the reserve force.
“This lockdown will take 21 days, but we have to prepare for whatever eventuality beyond this 21 days. It doesn’t mean that when the lockdown is done after the 21 days, everything will be over,” adds Mapisa- Nqakula.
