Army deployed to monitor SA’s toll roads in wake of violent disruptions
The SANDF will be taking over the law enforcement and security duties on South Africa’s troubled highways which have lately been the scene of violent attacks on trucks, particularly ones driven by foreign nationals.
On Thursday, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise said the impact of the unrest was felt not only in South Africa, but also affected countries in the region.
You may recall that just before the local government elections we said we have an interest, as the military, to look after strategic infrastructure. We have been in discussion since with the minister of police, and defence has agreed to take over just the toll roads and the toll gates specifically,” Modise addressed a briefing of government’s Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) cluster in Pretoria.
“That decision was taken because we cannot afford a situation, as a country, where trucks block very strategic economic routes which not only affect South Africa but it affects the whole of SADC. With that in mind, we had already started looking at how we will deploy, to do that.”
She said “if there is any issue which might create any uncertainty to life and limb, property, the economic interests of the country the (Department of) Defence gets interested”.
The court in Pretoria on Wednesday ordered that the outspoken former president return to court to serve the 15-month jail term which was imposed by the Constitutional Court in June for contempt.
Violence soon engulfed the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, with around 300 losing their lives in the widespread riots in July after Zuma began his jail term. Government has been beefing up security deployments, fearing another outburst of anger. On Thursday, Lamola warned that criticising the judiciary would only inflame the situation.
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