The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed to assist the police in gang violence hotspots in the Western Cape, Gauteng, and now the Eastern Cape, acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia confirmed on Tuesday during a debate on the President’s State of the Nation Address.
“I can confirm that the National Commissioner of the SAPS and the Chief of the SANDF met on Monday to finalise the deployment plan, which will begin within the next ten days and will include the Eastern Cape,” Cachalia said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa had earlier announced in his State of the Nation Address that the army would support police operations in the Western Cape and Gauteng to combat gang-related killings and illegal mining.
Cachalia said the deployment will follow lessons from past operations while respecting the mandates of the SAPS and SANDF, and the Constitution. Anti-Gang Units will be strengthened, and intelligence-driven operations will target the leadership, finances, firearms, and logistics of organised crime networks.
“Multi-disciplinary task teams, including the National Prosecuting Authority, the Special Investigating Unit and the South African Revenue Service, will focus on dismantling these networks,” he said.
A multi-stakeholder Organised Crime Advisory Council will monitor the strategy’s implementation.
Photo: screenshot
