Soldiers ‘will continue to protest’

Soldiers will continue protesting until the minister of defence tables a decent wage offer, the South African National Defence Union (Sandu) said on Friday.

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"We call on the minister to table a decent offer, failing which we will initiate further programmes of protest starting on September 2," said Sandu president Mosima Mosima.

This would be in the form of pickets, petitions and protest marches in a push for a salary increase of 30 percent across the board.

Mosima said the soldiers had not defied a court order when they went to the Union Buildings on Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning the High Court in Pretoria would not give soldiers permission for a planned march to the Union Buildings.

Later, they tried to enter the grounds of the Union Buildings, which houses the president’s office and other key departments, allegedly damaging vehicles and setting a police van alight, before being dispersed by police using rubber bullets and teargas.

"At the time of receiving the court’s judgement, soldiers had already assembled at the designated area, and the police suggested that the soldiers should be moved to another venue, which will not disturb the CBD, where leaders of the union will inform them of the outcome of the court."

He charged that when they arrived at the Union Buildings, police sprayed part of the group with water and that was when chaos erupted.

"This unfortunate incident leads to a series of events which end up in excessive, brutal and unnecessary action by police," said Mosima.

He said their members were shot with rubber bullets while running for cover after a police water cannon sprayed them with water while they were about to sit down to listen to union leaders.

Spokesman for the union Jeff Dubazana said dismissing soldiers for ’going to the Union Buildings would not solve their "shameful" salary position.

"The minister [Lindiwe Sisulu] cannot dismiss members.... some of them were on leave of absence while others were protected by the Constitutional Court judgment of 2007 that ruled that soldiers cannot be denied leave to participate in a protest."

Sandu said it would pursue contempt of court proceeding against "all military leaders and civilian management".

The union said it was not opposed to people acting criminally to be charged, but was against a witch-hunt on members for merely being at the Union Buildings on Wednesday.

Dubazana said none of their members have been suspended or dismissed.

"Reports from members are that there is a tension between them and management who want to identify soldiers who were at the Union Buildings."

The uMKhonto we Sizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) has called for the de-unionisation of the security cluster following the soldiers’ protest.

"Soldiers are the protectors of the Constitution and their allegiance lies with the country... there is always an expectation that a soldier must have pride, honour, duty and sacrifice amongst qualities that define his or her patriotic actions." said national secretary Ayanda Dlodlo.

Dlodlo said MKMVA has called on President Jacob Zuma, the Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana and alliance partners to review the unionisation of the security cluster in the interest of national security.

The security cluster includes the defence, the police, intelligence and the metro police.