In a decisive escalation of the fight against organised crime, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has begun a pilot deployment to stabilise gang-ravaged communities in the Western Cape and clamp down on illegal mining syndicates in Gauteng, with the full operation set to run until March 2027.
The intervention, which officially started on March 1 and concludes on March 31 2027, forms part of a broader national strategy to dismantle organised criminal networks.
It was outlined during a briefing by SAPS to parliament’s portfolio committee on police on Wednesday.
Committee chairperson Ian Cameron said the meeting followed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pronouncements during his state of the nation address (Sona), where he described organised crime as an immediate threat to democracy, society and economic development. Ramaphosa directed that intelligence structures be consolidated nationally, priority syndicates identified and multidisciplinary intervention teams deployed to dismantle criminal networks.
“Today’s [Wednesday] meeting is the response by the acting minister of police regarding gang-infested areas in the Western Cape, Gauteng, parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal,” Cameron said.
MPs raised concerns about the scope of the deployment, the conduct of SANDF members and funding.
We should not be celebrating the deployment of the SANDF to fight crime. Our top SAPS officials are capable of doing their work but are working against each other instead of focusing on criminals.
— Leigh-Ann Mathys, EFF MP
EFF MP Elsabe Ntlangwini questioned which specific areas in Cape Town would be covered, saying the focus could not be limited to the Cape Flats only. She cited incidents of witnesses being shot at the Athlone magistrate’s court and asked whether Athlone forms part of the operational footprint.
Another EFF MP, Leigh-Ann Mathys, described the deployment as “a sad moment”, saying crime-fighting should primarily be the responsibility of SAPS.
“We should not be celebrating the deployment of the SANDF to fight crime. Our top SAPS officials are capable of doing their work but are working against each other instead of focusing on criminals,” she said.
MPs also questioned whether sufficient funding had been secured, warning against launching an initiative that could later be hamstrung by budget constraints.
Maj-Gen Mark Hankel told the committee the president’s Sona announcement confirmed the imminent deployment to assist SAPS in combating high levels of gangsterism and illicit mining that have evolved into organised criminal networks.
“The joint deployment will give us space to function in those areas and address the objective of disrupting and dismantling these criminal elements,” Hankel said.
He described the move as strategic and necessary, given the escalating impact of gang violence and illegal mining on economic stability and community safety.
“The employment of the SANDF is not only a strategic response but a necessary measure to restore public confidence and secure a safer environment for growth and investment,” he said.
The deployment will focus on identified hotspots:
- Western Cape: gangsterism in the Cape Flats areas in the City of Cape Town;
- Eastern Cape: northern areas of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, as well as Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay in the Sarah Baartman district municipality;
- Gauteng: illegal mining in Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and the West Rand;
- North West: illicit mining in the Platinum Belt, the KOSH area and Dr Ruth Mompati district municipality; and
- Free State: Goldfields region.
Hankel said SANDF members will undergo mission-readiness training as part of mobilisation, including joint training with SAPS. This includes instruction on SAPS use-of-force protocols, escalation procedures, communication systems, rules of engagement, human rights compliance and operational conduct.
Operation objectives include reducing crime in designated areas, arresting offenders, recovering illegal firearms, ammunition and explosives, and confiscating illicit narcotics and tools of trade linked to criminal activity.
National police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola said the deployment is in line with section 201(2)(a) of the constitution, which empowers the president to authorise the employment of the defence force in co-operation with SAPS.
“As a force multiplier, we have submitted the necessary documentation to the minister of defence for submission to the president,” Masemola said.
The full operational model will be implemented from April 1, marking the start of the new financial year.
A total of R1bn has been allocated for the implementation of the national organised crime plan, which includes the SANDF deployment. However, the SANDF will also use its own budget, with the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) overseeing operations.
Weekly reporting will feed into NatJoints’ systems, with priority committee monitoring. Any arrests effected by SANDF members must comply with the Criminal Procedure Act, and suspects must be handed over to SAPS without delay. Soldiers effecting arrests will be required to file formal statements.
The deployment is expected to serve as a force multiplier in high-risk areas, but its long-term success will hinge on sustained intelligence-led operations and the dismantling of the criminal syndicates at the heart of South Africa’s organised crime crisis.
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