EFF leader Julius Malema said the move signalled the president’s loss of confidence in the police. (@EFFSouthAfrica/X)
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has applauded President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to deploy the army in areas where gangsterism has taken over the streets of townships.
Ramaphosa announced in his State of the Nation address on Thursday that the army would be deployed in the Western Cape and Gauteng to deal with gangs and illegal mining.
He said the State Security Agency would conduct new background checks and lifestyle audits for senior police management, including metro police. Evidence has emerged at the Mandlanga Commission and parliament’s ad hoc committee implicating senior law enforcement officers in corruption.
Speaking outside parliament after Ramaphosa’s speech, Malema said it signalled that the president had lost confidence in the police service, as indicated by his announcement to involve the army.
“We are happy that the army is coming and we are going to restore law and order,” the EFF leader said.
Malema said the rest of Ramaphosa’s speech consisted largely of things he had spoken about in the past, the only difference being that he was saying them with vigour.
He said setting up task teams to grapple with many issues was confirmation that Ramaphosa “doesn’t have the necessary capacity in the GNU (government of national unity)”.
“We are here again listening to a man using a public platform during an election year to launch a campaign for his political party and that’s what we have been subjected to,” he said.
Inkatha Freedom Party spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa, whose party is in the GNU, said Ramaphosa had given a balanced view of the state of the country.
The Democratic Alliance’s Willie Aucamp said the president had addressed many of the things the party had asked him to discuss.
He said Ramaphosa’s announcement that the army would be deployed to fight illegal mining and gang violence was a step in the right direction.
Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi also gave Ramaphosa’s speech a thumbs-up, singling out the vetting of senior police officials as an important move.
Eyaaz
mg.co.za
