'You're Not Our Clients', SA Military General Tells MPs Amid Reports Of Military Brutality

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has told parliamentarians that it is not answerable to them but to their commander-in-chief, the country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa.

SANDF’s chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Lindile Yam made the remarks when he appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on Wednesday. He said:

You’re not our clients. We are not the police. We take instructions from the commander-in-chief.

Yam’s remarks follow media reports of military brutality against citizens accused of violating lockdown restrictions.

The country’s Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula acknowledged that the department is aware of the allegations.

She, however, said some of the things distributed on social media were not necessarily things that happened during the lockdown.

A citizen, Collins Khosa was allegedly beaten to death by SANDF members on Good Friday and the case is before the country’s Constitutional Court.

More: News24