Army members. (Photo: SANW)
Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa said in the National Assembly on Wednesday that the South African army is being deployed to support the police in the fight against gang violence and illegal mining in several provinces.
Ramaphosa answered questions from members of parliament, after questions arose about the authorization and steps taken when the army was deployed in Gauteng.
Ramaphosa explained that the army serves as a “force multiplier” for the police in operations in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Gauteng, as well as against illegal mining in Gauteng and North West.
“The deployment of the army is necessary to complement the efforts of the SAPS to combat these crimes and bring stability back to communities,” he said.
He emphasized that soldiers will only act in support of the police and that the operations will take place under the command of the police. There will also be clear operational rules and the deployment will take place for specific, temporally defined objectives.
According to Ramaphosa, the army can be called by the police, among other things, to provide protection during high-risk operations or to help with raids against heavily armed criminals.
Soldiers can also help secure critical infrastructure. This will enable police officers to focus more on investigations, arrests and building strong cases that can lead to successful prosecutions.
Members of the armed forces will be deployed in Gauteng and other parts of the country to help tackle illegal mining. (Photo: X)
Ramaphosa said the deployment of the army forms part of a broader strategy to tackle organized crime. This includes strengthening anti-gang units and task forces that focus on illegal mining.
According to him, the police also work together with the National Prosecution Authority in multidisciplinary task forces aimed at the leadership, finances, weapons and logistical networks of criminal syndicates.
“Through this support, we intend to achieve a significant reduction in serious and violent crime in the targeted areas, with the neutralization of gang violence and illegal mining,” said Ramaphosa.