[imagesource: News24]

South Africans will never forget the scenes of violence and looting that played out last July.

We watched on in horror while the rest of the world, Ozzy Man included, likely shrugged their shoulders and said ‘that’s Africa’.

Fast forward 13 months and the country remains on edge. So much so, in fact, that the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) has ordered around 200 soldiers to be on standby for deployment.

The reason? TimesLIVE reports “SA is gradually deteriorating into unrest due to criminality”:

The order, dated August 6 and issued by Maj-Gen Patrick Dube, general officer commanding the Army’s infantry formation, states that the soldiers are necessary “in anticipation of deploying in co-operation with the SAPS”.

“It is foreseen that the SANDF might be called to play their secondary role to go on 24-hour standby in anticipation” of further unrest.

The order follows a military command council meeting last week where generals were warned to be on high alert.

What do they know that we don’t?

There’s undoubtedly palpable anger and unrest in and around Krugersdorp, centred on illegal mining operations and a gang rape that shocked the nation, with mob justice taking hold.

We were woefully underprepared for last year’s unrest:

According to the order, the main infantry battalion for the preparation is 21 SA Infantry Battalion (21 SAI) based at Doornkop in Johannesburg. That unit has to prepare for an additional 200 soldiers’ accommodation and meals, while 100 Mamba light armoured vehicle drivers also need to be placed on standby at the same base.

A former general who spoke with TimesLIVE said the numbers involved don’t indicate preparation for a full-scale conflict.

Rather, we know we need to learn from last year’s tepid response and be ready to mobilise at short notice.

The soldiers are in place to go as of this morning but can only be deployed once an order has come from President Cyril Ramaphosa.

By the way, this is the same SANDF overseen by the department of defence. A report from the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) recommended wasteful and irregular spending be investigated. However, no such action was taken and the report leaked.

The basics from The Sunday Times report last weekend:

The AGSA found there are still 833 cases of alleged misconduct, fraud and improper SCM [supply chain management] infringements not completed, with some ongoing for more than a year. Irregular expenditure identified in the previous financial year to the amount of R6.1bn was not even investigated by the DoD. In the same year no appropriate steps were taken against officials involved in expenditure adding up to R680m.

In the same year fruitless and wasteful expenditure of more than R8.5bn was not investigated.

In 90 of 122 investigations into fraud, none of the recommended actions put forward by the AGSA were taken.

The records kept by the defence department were so poor that contracts worth in excess of R200 million could not even be investigated.

Meanwhile, recent budget cuts will see more than 3 000 uniformed soldiers leaving over the course of the next two years.

Before the ANC and other top brass are ousted from power, they will feast.

[sources:timeslive&sundaytimes]