ANC bigwig rebukes military plan for Parliament
Recrimination and some apparent backtracking follow parties’ outrage over President Jacob Zuma’s plan to deploy more than 400 soldiers for the State of the Nation Address
ANC heavyweights in Parliament have distanced themselves from President Jacob Zuma’s decision to deploy more than 400 soldiers for the State of the Nation Address (Sona) to maintain "law and order". They have also given assurances to opposition parties that the soldiers will not be deployed inside the parliamentary precinct. Parliamentary officials seemed to backtrack on the army’s presence following objections about the larger than usual deployment‚ which has more than tripled since 2013. In 2013 there were 168 soldiers deployed for the Sona‚ which rose to 188 in 2015‚ compared with 441 this year. There is no record of deployment for last year’s Sona in Parliament announcements‚ tailings and committee reports. The governing party’s chief whip, Jackson Mthembu, on Wednesday came out strongly against the decision, and called for the matter to be corrected. "I’ve not heard anything that suggests that the military has been sent to Parliament‚ I’ve not heard that. I’ve spoken to the Pre...
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