The SA National Defence Union (Sandu) has described as "ridiculous" and "absurd" the arrest of 75 soldiers accused of mutiny and violation of the traffic and gatherings Acts.

The soldiers were arrested on Wednesday afternoon after marching down the N12 and Golden highway in a bid to get to the Doornkop military base from Lenasia.

"The total malice and absurdity with which this matter was dealt is further illustrated by the fact that only after four hours in detention were the members informed of the charges against them and the reasons for their arrest," the union said in a statement on Thursday.

Sandu general secretary Pikkie Greeff said the arrested soldiers — who were not all Sandu members — were arrested outside the Doornkop base after military officers were instructed to lock them out.

This, he said, was an obvious "brutal abuse of power by management throughout its military police force".

Greeff also laughed off the contravention of the traffic Act charge, saying the soldiers would not have walked on the highway had the military honoured the Pretoria High Court ruling and provided them with transport to work.

"The charges of contravening the Road Safety Act is equally trumped up as the Johannesburg metro police were monitoring the members' walking to their place of work without so much as charging or warning the pedestrians involved that they were committing a traffic violation," Greeff said.

He disputed Wednesday's statement by SA National Defence Force (SANDF) spokesperson Brigadier General Kwena Mangope that the soldiers could have "followed the right channels to address the transport issue", saying their pleas had fallen on deaf ears.

"Sandu brought these factors to the attention of the chief of the SA Army and no steps were taken to rectify the situation on a permanent basis. To save themselves from this embarrassing situation, they today (Thursday) availed transport for the soldiers," Greeff said.

Mangope could not be immediately reached for comment on Greeff's claims.

On Wednesday, he said it was unacceptable for soldiers to protest.

"It is not in the culture of soldiers to march [protest] in uniform... it is totally unacceptable. If indeed they are soldiers they should have followed the right channels and aired their grievances in regard to transport," Mangope said.

Sapa