‘We trusted them’: Mom speaks out after alleged assault by SANDF soldier

SANDF

Cape Town – A Mitchells Plain mother has accused a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier of assaulting her twice during a confrontation in Tafelsig, raising fresh questions about the conduct and training of troops deployed to Cape Flats communities to fight gang violence.

According to News24, Bonita Smith and her husband encountered soldiers escorting their 20-year-old son towards a police vehicle after the family had returned from shopping.

Smith said she approached the soldiers to find out why her son had been apprehended, after which the confrontation escalated and she was allegedly slapped twice.

The incident was also captured in video footage that circulated on social media. The footage appears to show the soldier striking Smith twice while SAPS members and other soldiers were nearby. The soldier is also heard telling her to “f#@k off”, while a bystander asks: “Hoekom klap jy haar?” – meaning “Why are you slapping her?”

Smith told eNCA that she supports the deployment of the army to crime-ridden areas but questioned who residents could turn to for protection if security forces themselves were accused of abusing civilians.

“We are already afraid of gangsters. We are living in fear. If the army and the police can’t protect us, where must we go?” Smith said.

She said her son had allegedly been arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm but was later released without appearing in court. She has reportedly opened a case over the alleged assault.

The SANDF has confirmed that the incident is being investigated, while the Military Ombud said it had received 24 complaints against the army since its deployment countrywide, with no disciplinary action taken so far, according to eNCA.

The controversy comes amid wider debate over Operation Prosper, the joint SANDF-SAPS deployment intended to tackle gang violence, illegal firearms and other serious crimes on the Cape Flats.

Deeply disturbing

Speaking to EWN, Mitchells Plain United Residents Association member Linda Jones said communities had called for the army because residents were living in fear, but warned that soldiers needed appropriate training to deal with civilians.

“We heard that people are shouting, please bring in the army, because things were running really badly in Mitchell’s Plain,” Jones said, adding that the army was “not trained for that”.

At the same time, Jones urged residents not to provoke troops, saying the video showed bystanders encouraging the soldier during the confrontation. She stressed, however, that soldiers remained responsible for their conduct.

“Remember, in that uniform is still a human being. And as a human being, you must consider your actions,” she said.

DA MP Nicholas Gotsell described the footage as “deeply disturbing”, arguing that soldiers should support rather than replace properly trained police officers.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has previously cautioned that military deployments alone cannot provide a lasting solution to crime, saying: “Sustained deployments hold ground; they do not by themselves transform a precinct.”

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