Soldiers’ union up in arms

Arrests for ‘breach of discipline, defying orders’ are unlawful — Sandu

TENSIONS between the defence ministry and disaffected soldiers neared breaking point yesterday following the arrest of 38 troops at a military base south of Johannesburg.

Police and army officials were tight-lipped about the exact reasons for the arrests, but the 18000- member SA National Defence Union said the action was part of “a campaign of terror” being waged by the defence ministry.
Reports last night quoting the defence ministry said 33 of the 38 arrested soldiers had been released. There were unconfirmed reports that “scuffles” broke out at the Doornkop base between the arrested soldiers and the military police, who were backed up by the police.
General Nhlanhla Ngwenya, chief of the SA National Defence Force, told The Times the soldiers had been arrested for “breach of discipline and defying orders”. He said action was unrelated to the recent illegal protest march at the Union Buildings — and the subsequent suspension of 2000 soldiers.
Ngwenya said: “The soldiers are facing various charges, but I cannot confirm if they were charged with mutiny.”
The Doornkop soldiers were reportedly taken to police headquarters in Pretoria yesterday for questioning. Some were later released but, Sandu said nine others had appeared in a military court.
The union’s national secretary, Pikkie Greeff, said: “One person was released, and 15 others were released after a few hours of being locked up.’’
He said nine soldiers had appeared before a military court and had applied for bail late yesterday.
“What concerns us is that our members were locked in the cells with no access to legal representation. They were detained without charges,’’ Greeff said.
“We will lay a civil claim against the minister of defence and get an interdict to stop her from detaining our members unlawfully.”
Greeff said that the arrests “took place very arbitrarily — those who arrived [at the base] first were detained. It took us six hours to locate them.
“We are concerned, but we will wait to see what happens [today].”
Soldiers at Doornkop, who did not want to be named, told The Times: “Some soldiers on the police’s list were not even at the Union Buildings last week.”
Defence ministry spokesman Sam Mkwanazi said he would not “speculate” about whether the soldiers were facing charges relating to an alleged plot to kidnap Minister of Defence Lindiwe Sisulu.
Sisulu last week cancelled a visit to a hospice at the Lenasia base following allegations — apparently contained in an intelligence report — that disaffected soldiers planned to kidnap her and some generals.
Sandu said yesterday that an application to stop the dismissal of 2000 soldiers as a result of last week’s protest “is on track”.
The ‘‘temporary dismissal letter’’ sent to the soldiers gives them 10 days in which to make representations why their dismissal should not be made permanent.
Greeff said the minister has until the close of business today to explain what regulations she applied to fire the troops, failing which the union will go to court.