ANC delegates slam easy access to blue lights and military uniforms

ANC conference delegates have lambasted the uMkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association (MKMVA) and private security firms‚ questioning their easy access to military paraphernalia.

This is according to energy minister David Mahlobo‚ who was briefing journalists in his capacity as the chairperson of the ANC's subcommittee on peace and stability following policy discussions in this area of governance at the party's national conference in Johannesburg.

Mahlobo said ANC delegates came down hard on the ease with which organisations such as the MKMVA and some private security companies gained access to defence paraphernalia‚ such as military uniforms.

He said the ANC conference also expressed unhappiness at how criminals were able to access state security equipment such as blue lights and police uniforms‚ which they often use to rob citizens by staging illegal road blocks.

Mahlobo also said that there's a resolution for the local development of military hardware locally‚ which he said would help enhance national security.

He said the ANC would also explore how to turn state-owned arms defence company Denel into a defence "innovation hub" to unlock as yet unrealised economic benefits.