Armed, aggressive and confrontational SANDF soldiers have today illegally occupied Vuyisile Mini Square and dumped 5 truckloads of furniture in front of the Municipality’s City Hall.
About 30 soldiers, led by Mr Mcotoyi (unknown rank), arrived in front of City Hall and began offloading the furniture, which they claimed they had in their possession as a result of an eviction from their base earlier this morning, which we have since learned was also illegal.
Chief Whip, Cllr Werner Senekal said; “Mr. Mcotoyi indicated that the instruction was sent “from Pretoria”, which Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who I personally spoke to over the phone, denies having any knowledge of. The Minister committed to intervening and conducting an urgent investigation, which I will follow up on.
The SANDF has no absolutely right to dump anything on municipal property and has thus broken numerous by-laws and laws, for which there must be severe consequences.
Worse still, many soldiers were armed with assault rifles, fingers poised on triggers, loaded with full magazines. Upon departure, the soldiers proceeded to ram into and cause damage to a municipal vehicle and a small child was also pushed out the way by a senior soldier.
This unprecedented act by the South African Army is both undemocratic and unconstitutional, and has placed numerous lives and municipal property at risk.
The Municipality, through the Acting City Manager, is seeking an urgent court interdict against the SANDF as the soldiers claimed that they would return in due course with more furniture. A criminal case will also be opened for malicious damage to property, illegal dumping, intimidation and trespassing, amongst others.
The Municipality will also instruct lawyers to get a court order against the SANDF, demanding them to remove the furniture which is currently in front of the City Hall.
The Municipality will not allow acts of this nature to go unpunished and those responsible will be made to account in a court of law.”
Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula was concerned about the actions of a group of armed soldiers who used army trucks to dump furniture at the Port Elizabeth city hall and ram a government vehicle, her spokesperson said on Saturday.
“That is not the kind of behaviour she would like the SA National Defence Force [SANDF] to be associated with,” said her spokesperson Joy Peters.
The SANDF has launched an urgent investigation into Friday’s shocking events, filmed by many bystanders, as SANDF trucks arrived and armed soldiers offloaded furniture on to the varandah of the Port Elizabeth city hall.
A Port Elizabeth mother who was evicted from the Military Base in Forrest Hill on Friday has laid a criminal charge against the SANDF at the Humewood Police station and obtained legal advice.
This follows the dramatic eviction on Friday when about 15 soldiers loaded up all her belongings and dumped it in front of City Hall.
Alta Smit who has a daughter with special needs, had to watch helplessly while soldiers packed all her belongings into black bags and boxes, before loading it on the back of a truck.
Thirty armed soldiers illegally occupied the Vuyisile Mini Square in Port Elizabeth, dumping furniture at the entrance to the city hall. eNCA speaks to defence force spokesperson, Xolani Mabanga.
The occupation followed evictions from three houses at the Forest Hill army base. The occupants were said to be in the homes in violation of military rules.
SANDF spokesman Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga said the evictions were carried out by 15 members of the Army Support Base (ASB) Eastern Cape.
“The incidents that followed the evictions of the three identified houses have been brought to the attention of the senior authorities‚” said Mabanga.
“An urgent internal investigation has been launched and will run concurrently with the SAPS investigation to determine the sequence of events and the role(s) of all parties involved.
“The SANDF regrets the unfortunate events that unfolded this afternoon and will co-operate fully with the SAPS investigations into the matter.”
Alan Straton
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