Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans Cyril Xaba appealed to members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to conduct themselves in "accordance with the Constitution" after complaints that soldiers used excessive force in enforcing the lockdown.

In a statement, Xaba expressed the committee's support for the SANDF's "mandate in pursuit of curbing the spread of Covid-19 to save lives, and applauds the law enforcement personnel who have complied with the letter and spirit of the regulations, as declared by the President".

"Notwithstanding these noble intentions and efforts, it is disheartening to note in the past few days, various complaints, mostly from the media and ordinary citizens, exposing excessive use of force that undermines the dignity of citizens during the lockdown," reads the statement.

He said the committee was grateful to the media and citizens for exposing "these deplorable acts".

"We appeal to those members of the SANDF responsible for these acts to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their stature and consistent with their constitutional obligations to defend and protect the Republic and its people in accordance with the Constitution, and the principles of international law regulating the use of force," he said.

"We further call on citizens to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies deployed in pursuit of their mandate. We believe that the power vested in the defence force and the police services creates a contractual relationship between them and the people, which should not be abused," Xaba said.

Escalation

"The committee believes we should guard against the escalation of hostilities between citizens and law enforcement agencies, exercise maximum restraint, and strengthen public confidence in the ability of these agencies to protect and defend the people."

The committee further added that it is also mindful of difficulties in the maintenance of peace and stability in a multi-cultural and diverse society, especially under the conditions of a lockdown.

It called on citizens to respect lockdown regulations, not to resist arrest when breaches have been committed, and to report civil rights violations to the authorities.

"Let us all act responsibly," said Xaba.

He also expressed the committee's immense appreciation for the work and sacrifices by members of the SANDF and members of the Reserve Force, who have made themselves available to contribute.