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EFF, DA slam Zuma for plans to deploy military at SONA2017

Government has announced that, in the interest of safety and security, 441 soldiers will be deployed alongside the SAPS at this year’s State of the Nation Address.

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So el presidente’s deployed more then 400 soldiers to bolster the security presence around Parliament for this year’s State of the Nation Address and, well… folks are a little concerned.

The president’s been taking a hell of a lot of slack for the move, which has 411 SANDF soldiers working alongside the SAPS until Friday the 10th; and the DA and EFF have led the charge against the deployment.

Read: John Steenhuisen has a go at “scared ANC” in the run-up to SONA2017

The DA has written to speaker Baleka Mbete, slamming what they call the ‘militarisation’ of this year’s SONA, and the EFF labelled it ‘a declaration of war’.

“It’s quite ridiculous the extent they’re going to lock down the precinct. It really is quite over the top, draconian and harks back to the worst days of the security state in South Africa,” the DA’s chief whip John Steenhuisen said.

The EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi says the move’s intended to intimidate the media and the EFF.

“In expressing serious concerns about the securitisation of the people’s Parliament, it’s regrettable and it must be condemned in the strongest terms,” EFF national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said, adding that the move is meant to intimidate his party, as well as the media.

Constitutional law expert Pierre de Vos also weighed in on the matter, perfectly outlining exactly why Zuma and the ANC’s move is so concerning.