Army generals dismiss ‘turf war’ over deployed troops

Top army generals have dismissed claims of a “turf war” between the army and the police over the deployment of 2,000 troops to help fight crime in hot spots around the country.

This comes after army top brass told parliament’s joint standing committee on defence they would not take operational instructions from anyone outside the South African National Defence Force. The high-ranking officers said on Friday that the joint operation was designed to enhance co-operation and minimise operational friction between the two entities.