The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans said while South Africa’s high murder rate demands decisive action, the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in assisting in this cause should not be viewed as a permanent solution.

“We are losing between 26 000 and 30 000 people to murder every year. That is a crisis that cannot be ignored. But the army is not a long-term answer to crime,” said committee chairperson Dakota Legoete.

He explained that soldiers must be deployed for a limited period, under strict oversight and with clear rules.

On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa defended his decision to deploy the SANDF to support the Saps in tackling gang violence and illegal mining in the Western Cape, Gauteng and Eastern Cape.

He argued that the recent deployment was necessary owing to a surge in violent organised crime.

The committee held discussions on Wednesday with academic experts on national security, military strategy and military sociology from the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection and Stellenbosch University.

The academics said that while the deployment is a legitimate short-term response to high levels of violent crime, it is also a sign that the police are struggling to fully carry out their mandate.

They warned of the serious risks of long-term military deployments, and noted that domestic military deployments could become politicised.

They further cautioned that bringing soldiers into routine policing environments shifted focus away from the army's core responsibility, which is defending territorial integrity.

The academics also raised concerns about the rules governing the use of force, stressing that soldiers were trained for combat situations, not civilian policing.

“Clear guidance is needed on when and how deadly force may be used, especially in communities where civilians may not respond to commands in the same way as in military operations. Should there be an increase in the use of the SANDF for internal functions, a permanent decision on the structuring of such deployments and training of units is required,” they said.

Legoete noted that a situation where the military became part of day-to-day political solutions or was used as an intimidating force against people should be avoided.

Moreover, he expressed concerns that once soldiers withdrew, criminal gangs and syndicates could quickly return to affected areas, if deeper structural problems were not addressed.

He said SANDF deployments must be carefully planned, trained for and professionally executed.

“The State takes legal risk when deploying soldiers internally. We are a constitutional democracy. The State can be taken to court for wrongful arrests or wrongful operations,” he said.