Modise made the comments while informing the media on Thursday afternoon about the pension pay-outs for military veterans.

The Minister was asked about the deployment of soldiers from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to four Eskom power stations to secure the stations against vandalism and theft of equipment.

President Cyril Ramaphosa last week approved the deployment of SANDF members to the Camden, Thuthuka, Majuba and Grootvlei Power Stations in Mpumalanga.  

Modise says engineering capacity has been deployed to assist with the pumping of water at the power stations. 

“When South Africans cut power and water can’t be pumped into pipes. who suffers? That protection of the individual citizens, that individual, especially that small business that also buttresses the economy of this country is now being sabotaged. When you find clear acts of sabotage you do need to as the SANDF begin to say we can’t sit back when we are supposed to step in. And it is in that context that when we were approached, we agreed to deploy. 

“We deployed to go and intervene quickly with our engineering capacity to try and restore the pumping ability of water by Eskom to ensure that we are not caught flat-footed. We hope that this will not be a permanent feature, and we hope that the police will arrest and appropriately charge the people who are causing these things because this is not a petty crime. 

“When people can’t drink the water, when you disturb the power, when you disturb food production and the availability of food, you are actually fermenting uprisings and the stability of the country.”

Jacaranda News