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Daily News reports that starving military forces deployed in July to defuse tensions in the wake of the recent civil unrest in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Gauteng are crying out for help.
Sources within the army in KZN said they desperately needed help to put pressure on the state to meet its obligations and feed the hungry soldiers who have been hard at work assisting the police to restore order over the past two months. One source alleged that more than 220 soldiers based at Estcourt Secondary School have so far received only R600 for meals since they were deployed on 15 July. “We are paid between R16,000 and R18,000 before deduction, so can you imagine what this is doing to us? Deploying us and never (providing) food and clean water,” said the source. He claimed that one of the soldiers had to be rushed to hospital last Thursday when his body collapsed after weeks of starvation as he did not have money to buy food. A soldier deployed to Hammarsdale and overseeing the Pietermaritzburg area claimed they were also starved and had not been provided with basic supplies. He said the Gift of the Givers Foundation had come to their rescue. Pikkie Greeff of the SA National Defence Union (Sandu) said the union would write to the ministry demanding answers, and instruct them to act immediately to resolve the collapsing state of the army. SANDF spokesperson Brigadier-General Mafi Mgobhozi indicated that a meeting had been held on Monday and had resolved to attend to the issues.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Thabo Makwakwa, Gcwalisile Khanyile at Daily News
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