Can soldiers police South Africa’s national lockdown?
What does the law say about using the military for policing activities and are soldiers trained for these functions?
South Africa’s national state of disaster and lockdown in response to COVID-19 impose strict regulations on public movement and commercial activity. Enforcing these laws was always going to be difficult. On 22 April the president announced a further deployment of more than 73 000 soldiers to, among other things, supplement the police and military personnel already tasked with enforcing the lockdown.
This seminar will discuss the military’s role in policing in South Africa, focusing on the legality of using soldiers for this function, their ‘policing’ powers, and whether they are appropriately trained for this role.
Chair: Ottilia Anna Maunganidze, Head, Special Projects, ISS
Speakers:
Dr Johan Burger, Consultant, Justice and Violence Prevention, ISS
Colonel (Retired) David Peddle, formerly with Chief, Joint Operations, SANDF
