Our mandate is to 'skop and donner' - SANDF
The South African
National Defence Force (SANDF) says combatting crime does not fall within its
mandate - as soldiers are trained to “shoot to kill”.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has repeatedly called for the army to be deployed to crime-ridden communities in the Western Cape.
Addressing the media in Pretoria on Tuesday, SANDF chief Solly Shoke said while the army does occasionally assist other government departments in the combatting of crime, it prefers not to.
"We try to avoid as much as possible to not get involved in combatting crimes because, if I may repeat what I said in November, when we come in we 'skop and donner'," Shoke told reporters.
Shoke explained that soldiers are not trained to fight crime but will do so when they are deployed to certain areas by the president.
The SANDF also used the opportunity to clarify media reports that arms were smuggled to Cuba on a South African Airways (SAA) chartered flight, and that some soldiers were planning a coup when former president Jacob Zuma was recalled as head of state.
Shoke refuted claims of a rebellion by some soldiers, saying the army owes its allegiance to the republic and is above party politics.