The South African National Defence Force is not suited for internal deployment, particularly where it must fight "an invisible enemy" such as the coronavirus. Its conduct while enforcing the COVID-19 lockdown has brought this reality to the fore.
The military has been trained and equipped for precisely the opposite of what President Cyril Ramaphosa has asked of it - to save lives. Its purpose is to defend the country and its people against physical, external enemies - by killing such enemies if need be.
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