Shocking allegations that busloads of armed troops besieged a police station to demand the release of their arrested colleagues have once again thrown the spotlight on discipline problems in the SANDF.
Compounding the embarrassment for the military is the claim that the rogue soldiers - based at the Oudtshoorn Infantry School - were acting on the orders of a drunken general who was apparently infuriated by the arrest, last Friday night, of a group of troops at a shebeen.
The general is said to have led two groups of soldiers - some reportedly carrying R5 assault rifles - to free the prisoners.
After a tense standoff, the police freed the prisoners.
The SANDF, which initially reacted with scepticism to the allegations, first aired in newspaper reports, later said it was taking the claims seriously and had launched an investigation.
While the inquiry is under way the military's top brass would do well to ask themselves whether discipline in the defence force is as it should be.
Over the years, there have been numerous instances of protesting troops toyi-toying at bases - and infamously even at the Union Buildings - to highlight a range of grievances, including shocking conditions at some bases.
The Oudtshoorn base, in particular, has been rocked by scandals in the past.
A recruit froze to death there while on guard duty last year, and a soldier committed suicide in 2012, prompting the defence and military veterans minister to order an investigation into conditions at the base.
If the latest allegations turn out to be correct, it has to be asked what remedial measures were put in place at Oudtshoorn after the recent investigation.
SANDF units performed admirably in the Democratic Republic of Congo last year, helping to quell a raging rebellion in the east of that country.
Our military has also done sterling work in its peacemaking role on the continent, as well as in safeguarding our borders.
The ugly events at Oudtshoorn threaten to take the shine off these achievements.
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