Mon séjour en Afrique du Sud (Cape Town)

The SA National Defence Force spends 14 times more on peacekeeping operations outside South Africa than it does on supporting the SA Police Service's fight against crime within the country, the Democratic Alliance said on Monday.

According to replies to parliamentary questions submitted by the DA, the SANDF spent R793,3 million on peace support operations during 2005/06, while only R55.5 million was spent on operations in support of the SAPS, DA defence spokesman Roy Jankielsohn said in a statement

"It is of great concern that while South Africa is in desperate need of all the resources it can get in the fight against crime locally, the SANDF, whose vital secondary task should be to support the SAPS, are putting most of their resources into protecting foreign citizens.

"While it is important that South Africa is involved in supporting peace on the African continent, ensuring peace and security in South Africa should however be the government's first priority.

"While up to 3000 SANDF troops and even some SAPS members are abroad at any given time protecting foreigners, South Africa is being ravaged by crime," he said.

Cross-border crime was also a huge concern, and an area where the SANDF could support the SAPS.

"The SAPS are not adequately equipped or staffed to carry out the required borderline control... Our territorial integrity is being violated by criminals and our security forces are more concerned about the security of foreigners."

Jankielsohn said it was time government recognised South Africa was involved in a "low-intensity war", in which criminals armed with automatic weapons were robbing, raping and killing citizens.

Two former SA Defence Force (SADF) soldiers were arrested for protesting in full military uniform outside the Lenz Military Base near Lenasia on Monday.

Another five protesters -- some also in camouflage uniform -- are thought to have also been arrested when they went onto the base to speak to the commanding officer.

The protesters claimed they were "unfairly dismissed" when the SADF was integrated with the PAC's military wing, the Azanian People's Liberation Army, and the African National Congress's armed force, Umkhonto we Sizwe in the mid-1990s to form the SA National Defence Force (SANDF).

"The government started dismissing members (of the SADF) to create space for other members (cadres of the former armed wings)," said protester Jackson Motaung.

The government had told them that, even though they were young at the time, it did not want them because "we were apartheid soldiers, we were killing them", said another protester, Aaron Mohalane.

In the past 13 years they had held protest marches and conveyed their grievances to former defence minister Joe Modise, Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, former president Nelson Mandela and President Thabo Mbeki.

"I haven't been working since 1995," said Charles Motloung, one of the men in uniform. "Selling stuff by the street, that's how we survive," he said.

"Not even the Metro Police will take these people... We have to feed children and everything," said Motaung.

"We have followed all the right channels," he said. Now, "we do or die for this thing".

"They are not taking us seriously," said Mohalane.

The protesters threatened to first wage a campaign similar to that conducted for Mandela's release, failing which they would "disrupt the country".

Although there were only 13 protesters outside Lenz, they claimed 20 were under arrest inside -- including the two uniformed protesters and the five-man delegation.

They alleged that their sit-in began on Sunday inside the base, but that they moved off the premises at the suggestion of a newspaper photographer who asked them to pose outside.

A number were arrested when they returned later to fetch their bags, they charged.

While their group might be small in number, the protesters said they had the backing of pockets of similarly disgruntled ex-soldiers in all nine provinces.

They also had the support of serving soldiers who claimed they were being discriminated against and that the SANDF did not represent a truly integrated force.

Ministerial spokesman Sam Mkhwanazi contacted Sapa not to comment on the issue, but to inquire whether the protesters were really wearing full uniform.

He explained that the uniform of the SADF was no longer a military uniform.

The wearing of a full military uniform would "cause problems" whether by serving member of the SANDF -- not allowed to do what the protesters were doing -- or someone not in the military -- who might have obtained it illegally.

He was still trying to gather information about the protest and would probably issue a statement later in the day, he said.

Lenz Military Base's commanding officer, a Colonel Mbatha, who refused to give his first name or to comment, explained to the protesters that their action, ten metres from the base, was in "a restricted area".

They agreed to move down the road when he told them it was unlawful to protest within 500 metres of military bases and explained that access had to be ensured.

Military police escorted the protesters away.