SANDF denies reports of ‘death squads’ in military

Addressing the media in Pretoria on Thursday, SANDF chief Rudzani Maphwanya said the defence force will always operate within the boundaries of the constitution.

It comes amid reports in the Daily Maverick that soldiers are allegedly responsible for acts of torture and murder.

The evidence implicates at least four units of the SANDF in crimes dating back to 2019.

"There are no military squads in the defence force,” Maphwanya said.

“The South African National Defence Force stands for the defence and protection of the people and will always act within the confines of the law and constitution.

"We are still the last line of defence for the people of South Africa, and whatever we do, we do it to ensure that South Africans are able to go on with their day-to-day activities without any fear."

He added that the SANDF is the only organisation which will continue to fight for the constitution even at the cost of their own lives.

"We will continue to defend the constitution, even with the cost of our lives. When it comes to the interest of South Africans, we will always strive to achieve what our people would like to achieve and assist them in whatever form."

The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General Thalitha Mxakato, said the Board of Inquiry which was instituted to probe the allegations has not concluded its work.

"There has never been any attempt to disregard any critical information that may tarnish the image of the SANDF, and hence, when these allegations came forth, the first thing to do was to put a team that was going to get to the core of the issues."

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