by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE break-ins and theft of weapons as well as vandalism at military bases is an emerging security crisis in South Africa.
It highlights how brazen criminals have become, in a country denounced as being one of the most violent in the world.
It indicates a failure by the government to address rampant crime.
The Bloemspruit base South African Air Force (SAAF) base in the judicial capital, Bloemfontein, is the latest defence facility to be burgled.
Last month, intruders stole ammunition and other implements, including a bud engine and gearbox.
This is blamed on broken alarm systems, weak perimeter fencing and inept closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
Guards were said to be ill-equipped to deal with an intrusion.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), a key member of the coalition government, is demanding an immediate, system-wide security overhaul across all South African National Defence Forces (SANDF) installations.
It is pursuing the appearance of Defence and Military Veterans minister, Angelina Motshekga, and leaders of the defence forces to appear before Parliament.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Chris Hattingh, DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans, said of the Bloemspruit break-in.
“It’s the predictable result of rotten perimeter security, dead alarms, unmonitored CCTV and broken lighting, risks flagged more than a year ago by the Inspector General in an inspection that warned theft was ‘a matter of time’.
Hattingh added, “The recent break-in went unnoticed by roving guards; ammunition was being kept in a hangar because the ammunition store itself was deemed insecure.”
Parliament has already been briefed on widespread trespassing on SANDF bases.
The trespassing is because of informal settlements pressed against or inside base boundaries, fences cut, illegal electricity and water connections, cable theft, and even illegal mining and persistence farming authorised on defence land.
Sites flagged include Marievale, Lenz, Defence HQ precinct, 93 Ammunition Depot, 43 SA Brigade and the Main Ordnance Sub Depot at Wallmannsthal and Wingfield, with partial or stalled evictions and weak inter departmental follow-through.
This highlights how criminals in South Africa are now brazen and testing the might of the government.
In recent months, no less than three cabinet ministers were robbed or hijacked, in broad daylight.
In August, three DA Members of Parliament were injured during an attempted hijacking in Cape Town.
– CAJ News