ANC MPs have come out in support of soldiers amid allegations that they have been abusive towards civilians while enforcing the lockdown.

During a meeting of parliament's joint defence committee on Wednesday, defence minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and the SANDF top brass, the ANC component of the oversight structure, said soldiers should not allow “anarchists” to undermine the authority of the state.

At the same time, military ombudsman Lt-Gen Vusumuzi Masondo told MPs that his office had received 33 complaints of abuse of power and heavy-handedness against soldiers since the start of lockdown on March 26.

The army has come under fire from various sections of society after videos went viral on social media depicting soldiers assaulting citizens and forcing them to do physical exercise such as frog-jumps for failing to obey lockdown rules.