SA Politics Thread Part 12

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I M D said:
Commando's had to have been legal as they existed all the way to 2003 ..
Cant really fit your definition as they were a regular organised force with a legitimate control structure part of the SANDF. Just mostly civilian
And even today there are civilian volunteers in the army
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Commandos were known as Citizen Force soldiers. They had completed their initial National Service and were fully fledged and trained soldiers.

They were civilians until activated. The moment they were activated, they were required to wear a military uniform and were under the Military Disciplinary Code. Your boss may have been a corporal and you a sergeant. When called up, you were his superior for the duration of the activation.

The Commando System was much like the Swiss system, where an army can be activated at a moment's notice, as all the soldiers are already in the community and the local commando organisation was the commando they were assigned to. If they moved, they were assigned to the commando at their new place of residence.

Civilian volunteers are also fully fledged and trained soldiers, either retired or resigned from the service. They are called reservists and require activation to serve.
 
Agent69 said:
Yes, many countries have a gendarmerie-type thing, where specialised military units can do "policing".


I doubt a Commando-type entity would somehow contradict this section if it were to be reintroduced.

The Commandos operated as civil defence units, not police units. E.g. they'd be called out for a farm or terrorist attack but not a robbery. So they'd fall under the Army's purview, but they wouldn't perform policing duties.
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Other way around.

They'd patrol and see something or respond to a distress call, call it in to the local police and then work in conjunction with them. Nominally a military unit, operationally they tended to work with the police.

The fix was simple: Officially integrate them within the SAPS. As I pointed out earlier in the thread, there is precedent with the STF, who themselves are paramilitary in nature.
 
I M D said:
Like now, army can assist saps, but there is a process to follow to make it legal
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Correct. Unless there is a state of emergency, the SANDF has no jurisdiction over civilians at all, and any soldiers interacting with civilians have to be under the direct control of the police.
 
interesting
Screen Shot 2025-11-29 at 07.43.55.jpg


and here in cape town, cyril's "palace on the hill" (fresnaye), is also within a da stronghold - ward54 - again, an area where da obtained around 94% during the previous elections
 
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