Zuko Komisa
- The SANDF has issued a strict warning to its members over “obscene” social media posts.
- Wearing the military uniform while posting explicit content is a serious breach of discipline.
- This conduct is now considered a criminal act under military law.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has issued a stern warning to its members against posting “obscene” photographic and video material on social media while in uniform.
In a press statement released today, the SANDF expressed “serious concern” over a growing trend of uniformed personnel publishing explicit or inappropriate content on their personal social media pages.
The statement clarifies that while the SANDF respects the personal freedoms of its members, such behaviour “undermines the dignity of the uniform and the values of the SANDF.”
The military’s leadership, including the Chief of the SANDF, General Rudzani Maphwanya, has condemned the misuse of the uniform. The statement reminds all members that their conduct, whether on or off duty, reflects directly on the force’s “integrity and discipline.”
The SANDF has declared that these actions are “strictly prohibited” and constitute a “serious breach of military discipline, professional ethics, and the SANDF Code of Conduct.”
The force expects its members to uphold the highest standards of behaviour.
General Maphwanya and the Military Command Council have reiterated an “unequivocal warning” that this conduct is a criminal offence under military law and will not go unpunished.
The statement concludes by noting that any misuse of the uniform in public or online spaces is considered a “criminal act under the Military Discipline Code.”
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