Residents express concern about possible army deployment
ALEXANDRA - The recent pronouncement by government to deploy the army in Alexandra has raised concerns from some residents.
The recent announcement that government was considering deploying the army in Alexandra has raised concerns for some residents.
This after the ministers of Defence Nosiviwe Maphisa-Nqakula and State Security David Mahlobo said an assessment was still being made to determine if, where and when such deployment would be made, not only in Alexandra.
The pronouncement comes in the aftermath of acts of xenophobia, which didn’t really ignite in Alex,but led to the looting of some shops amid the fear of flare-ups as happened in other parts of the city and in KwaZulu-Natal.
This also comes in the wake of the death of a Mozambique national from a beating and knifing. It is still to be determined if the crime was driven by xenophobia. Four perpetrators have been arrested and will be in court 4 May.
An EFF official, who was part of a crowd gathered to denounce the attacks, was also injured in a shooting. It is unknown if it is linked to xenophobia.
Mike Beea, a civic activist, said members of the public had heard of the proposed army deployment but he wasn’t certain if it was the correct step to take in a democracy where residents needed to be informed of any presumed or real threat to their lives.
He said if it has to do with xenophobia, there wasn’t merit in it as deployment had not been not instituted in KwaZulu-Natal where the attacks were on a large scale, longer and very destructive.
Beea added that there would also be questions raised after government’s refusal to deploy the army to assist police in the Western Cape in a bid to root out gang- and drug-related crime on the Cape Flats.
He said the urgency should be to improve governance whereby most things would fall into place, including security.
Another resident said the proposed deployment would create fear and re-ignite memories and traumas and a feeling of siege. He said if this was to curb crime and remove illegal guns and address crime, it should be made clear.
Mahlobo said the nationwide attacks had led to seven deaths, with three being citizens.
Mahlobo and Maphisa-Nqakula urged the public and foreign nationals to co-exist harmoniously, abide by the law and not possess illegal guns, and to trust the police and report crime to them. He said this in reference to the alleged circulation of pamphlets to scare foreign nationals away from their businesses so that they could be looted.
