Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa has announced that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) stands ready to deploy troops in support of the South African Police Service (SAPS), following Cyril Ramaphosa’s directive to intensify efforts against gang violence in the Western Cape and illegal mining in Gauteng.
Holomisa confirmed that operational preparations are under way, pending formal approval from Parliament.
Head of Communications for the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, Siphiwe Dlamini, stressed that any deployment would be in a supporting role.
“We’ve deployed before, and the law allows us to be deployed internally as long as it’s in support of the South African Police Service. We operate on the periphery — supporting police during raids, roadblocks and other operations. We are not the lead entity in this regard,” Dlamini said.
He added that SAPS would remain responsible for planning and directing operations, while the SANDF would provide manpower and logistical support.
“This is an intervention in support of SAPS, not without SAPS. That must be very clear,” he emphasised.
However, critics argue that military intervention cannot resolve what they describe as systemic failures within policing structures.
Anti-crime organisation Cape Crime Crisis Coalition has rejected the rationale for deployment, stating that bringing in the army signals deeper underlying problems.
The coalition said that while there appeared to be a temporary drop in murders when previous deployments began, there was no clear evidence that the army’s presence led to sustained reductions in affected communities compared with similar areas where soldiers were not deployed.
Listen to the full interview with Siphiwe Dlamini below:
VOC News
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