DA's Ian Cameron seeks clarity on legality of SANDF deployment

The command and legal basis of raids conducted by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and police, in the south of Joburg, are now under scrutiny.

On Wednesday, soldiers and police moved through areas including Eldorado Park and Riverlea in armoured vehicles, searching properties for contraband and illegal firearms.

The operation is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to tackle crime in Gauteng’s hotspot areas.

The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s parliamentary portfolio committee on police chairperson, Ian Cameron, said while he supports the military assisting police, there are serious questions about how the operation was authorised and who is in command.

Cameron said Parliament has not approved any new SANDF deployment specifically aimed at combating gang-related crime following the State of the Nation Address (SONA).

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He has also raised concerns about what he describes as the limited visible presence of senior SAPS members during the raids, warning that the military cannot replace police in law enforcement operations.

Cameron added that he has written to the national Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, seeking urgent clarity on the legality of the deployment.

“I have written urgently to the national commissioner to ask him for clarity on the legal basis of the deployment, the command structure, the rules of engagement. South Africans desperately need safer communities, but this must happen within clear and legal frameworks.”

He warned that without clear oversight and proper coordination, such operations could create confusion rather than deliver real progress in the fight against gang violence.