Tafelsig Woman Accuses SANDF Members of Assaulting Her and Son, South Africans Divided by Video

• A Western Cape mother shared more details about an altercation with a South African National Defence Force member
• The woman claimed that video clips captured the end of the confrontation, where she was assaulted by the officer
• South Africans weighed in on the video and the woman's claims, sharing mixed reactions about who was in the wrong

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

WESTERN CAPE - A Tafelsig mother has alleged that a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldier assaulted her, her son, and tried to assault her 16-year-old daughter without provocation during a street confrontation on the evening of Friday, 29 August 2026.

Bonita Smith shared her account in an interview with eNCA, describing how the incident unfolded after she followed her son to withdraw money. She said she encountered two soldiers who grabbed her son, and attempted to question one of them, at which point he struck her before she could finish speaking.

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Family members drawn into altercation

According to the woman, the soldier then shifted his attention to her son, kicking him in the face and jumping on his head while he was already on the ground. When she protested, the soldier shoved her and hit her again.

Her 16-year-old daughter arrived at the scene and asked why her brother was on the floor. The woman said the soldier then moved toward her daughter and attempted to strike her, at which point she stepped in to block the blow.

"He wanted to smack her. So, that is the part of the video that the people saw. The part where he smacked me, the last part, was the smack that was intended for my daughter. So I just protected her because, I mean, she's 16 years old," Smith said.

Her husband was also present during the later stages of the incident and questioned why his wife had been struck a third time. She said low-quality bystander footage, which subsequently spread online, captured this portion of the confrontation.

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Smith confirmed that she has since opened a formal case against the SANDF member and that an investigation is ongoing.

South Africans divided over the incident

The video drew significant reaction online, with viewers split over the account.

@michael.z.h wrote:

"The way his colleagues pulled him back, you can see he was out of line."

@candice_heyns commented:

"This is shocking!"

@orvika4 said:

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Let's hear his side of the story."

@peace.mojakisane added:

"This will be investigated. We need both sides of the story. The video clearly shows the soldier pointing at something on the floor. Either they threw something at him or did something, but the story is not complete."

@babz.oh remarked:

"This story makes no sense. Just my opinion! But no way this happened the way you explained it."

@grantjohnson219 wrote:

"Only telling her side of the story. Yeah, no, that boy definitely did something."

Other stories about SANDF members

• A SANDF reservist was fired after video surfaced, showing him drunk in full military uniform.
• A Hanover Park fashion designer claimed SANDF soldiers confiscated his custom camouflage trousers.
• An off-duty SANDF member was found dead with several gunshot wounds in Delft South on 8 April 2026.

Source: Briefly News