Top army generals have dismissed claims of a “turf war” between the army and the police over the deployment of 2,000 troops to help fight crime in hot spots around the country.
This comes after army top brass told parliament’s joint standing committee on defence they would not take operational instructions from anyone outside the South African National Defence Force.
The high-ranking officers said on Friday that the joint operation was designed to enhance co-operation and minimise operational friction between the two entities.
Lt-Gen Michael Ramantswana, chief of operations at the SANDF, also downplayed claims that the deployment of soldiers was being delayed due to “turf wars” with the police over command and control of those in brown and those in blue.
“What is called friction between us and the police is non-existent,” he said.
This week Ian Cameron, chairperson of the parliamentary police portfolio committee, wrote to the SANDF about the apparent rift, saying it was worrying that soldiers deployed in Gauteng this week were apparently not in the company of police.
“I am particularly concerned about reports that, until very recently, there had been no meaningful joint operational training between the two institutions,” wrote Cameron.
It raises important questions about how operational command and control will function on the ground
— Ian Cameron, parliamentary police portfolio committee chair
“Furthermore, SANDF representatives reportedly indicated to the joint standing committee on defence that their members would not take operational orders from SAPS [the police force]. If that position still stands, it raises important questions about how operational command and control will function on the ground.”
When briefing parliament last Friday about strategic guidelines to regulate deploying the army alongside the police in a lawful, proportionate and constitutional manner, SANDF chief of joint operations Lt-Gen Siphiwe Sangweni said the directions helped ensure clarity of roles, command and control, accountability and operational limitations.
Sangweni said the guidelines were drawn up after concerns were expressed by South Africans about how command-and-control issues would be handled when the two services work together.
“In these guidelines, [it is stated that] a soldier will never be commanded by any other [person] except a soldier, even if [the soldier commanded is of a] lower rank. On this one [issue], we were just confirming … that command-and-control systems … developed many years ago must be adhered to,” said Sangweni.
“[Under] command and control, each element commands his or her own element, particularly [in respect of] us as soldiers. The police [do] not command and control — they are part of us. They advise, they guide, but they do not command.”
The troop deployment follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement in February that the army would be dispatched to fight gang violence and illegal mining in provinces such as Gauteng and the Western and Eastern Cape.
A high-ranking source in the military said soldiers were being deployed to protect the interests of the country against crime that had reached “terrorism” levels. It was therefore not possible for the army to be under police command on the ground.
Iin terms of the command element, [police national commissioner Fannie] Masemola will remain the commander of the police, and [army head Rudzani] Maphwanya will remain the commander of the army
— Bantu Holomisa, Deputy defence minister
“The defence force [mandate], according to the constitution, is to protect the [country], and it is given to the defence force by the constitution. If we are talking about hierarchy, in the case of this deployment the police are below the defence force,” said the source.
“There’s a joint operation centre that is going to be set up, and there’s going to be a joint management team. So there is no crisis — it’s [an] operational [matter].”
Deputy defence minister Bantu Holomisa said people were panicking as if this were the first time the military had been deployed in the country. On the ground the police would not have the right to command the army, and the same applied to the army, which would not be able to command the police.
“But in terms of the command element, [police national commissioner Fannie] Masemola will remain the commander of the police, and [army head Rudzani] Maphwanya will remain the commander of the army.”
Holomisa said he was happy with this deployment, as it showed Ramaphosa was now prioritising safety and security in the country.
Criminologist Anele Chiba said it was true SANDF members could not take orders from an individual SAPS officer, not even the national police commissioner, and vice versa.
Chiba explained that section 20(8) of the Defence Act clarified the issues that may arise in terms of instructions and said the two agencies needed to find a way to better co-operate.
The Presidency’s Vincent Magwenya said Ramaphosa would have no patience with squabbles between the army and the police, and that he wanted his instructions to be effected without any hindrance.
The police had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
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