Julius Malema: South African Army Must Fight Terrorists in Mozambique

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema has dared the South African army to confront insurgent militants causing havoc in ...

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The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema has dared the South African army to confront insurgent militants causing havoc in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region.

Malema’s utterances follow reports that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and South African Police Service (SAPS) are accused of killing at least nine people. Speaking during an EFF press conference in Johannesburg at their headquarters recently, Malema did not mince his words.

By @Comic24Derick

“…going around beating up and killing innocent people in Alexandra. Now there is their match there in Mozambique. Let them go there and demonstrate some capacity,” Malema said.

“This thing of fighting people who are not armed and behaving like you are the most powerful armed force. Now there is a real challenge. Let the South African army be sent to Mozambique, I want to see something.

According to reports carried by South African media outlets, Collins Khoza was allegedly assaulted and killed by members of the SANDF during a patrol in Alexandra during an April 2020 lockdown.

(Image: The Guardian). The South African Police and Army are Accused of Assaulting people During the COVID-19 Lockdowns

Khoza’s death brought the number of people killed by soldiers and police to nine for reportedly violating national lockdown rules announced by the president in March 2020. Witnesses said that Khoza was assaulted for drinking alcohol inside a friend’s yard.

“They started slapping us, saying, ‘we are taking you with us’. There were four guys. One was punching him (Khoza) in the ribs, hitting him against the wall,” a witness said.

The army spokesperson denied commenting, referring the media to the police. Security studies expert, Andrew Faull told the Sunday Independent that the abuse of force is tolerated in the country. “Supervisors don’t discipline people who abuse force, and that creates a culture in which use of force is normalised,” said Faull.

Since October 2017, armed Islamists linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)-linked launched terrorist attacks in the Cabo Delgado region. The militant group unleashed mass beheadings, seizing the port town of Mocimboa da Praia in August 2020. So far many civilians, including Zimbabwean nationals have been displaced or killed during the ongoing attacks.

Meanwhile, SADC leaders are congregating in Mozambique to find a solution to the insurgency. “His Excellency President @edmnangagwa has left the country for Maputo, Mozambique to attend the Sadc Organ for Politics, Defence and Security meeting,” Nick Mangwana, government spokesperson tweeted on 8 April.

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