Over 2,000 soldiers deployed across South Africa to tackle crime

More than 2,000 soldiers will be deployed across some of South Africa’s crime hotspots from today.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to Gauteng, the Free State, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.

Authorities say the operation is aimed at supporting police efforts to combat organised crime, particularly gang-related violence and the growing issue of illegal mining.

The deployment, which is expected to cost more than R800 million, will remain in effect until the end of March next year.

Residents in the gang-ridden Eldorado Park in the South of Johannesburg believe that bringing in the army could help restore law and order.

“We have been expecting them because we know that Eldorado Park is one of the places where the most violence is going on and our children are dying like flies out here. So with the lockdown, there was a huge difference when they were on the ground, but now lately everything is just going sideways.

“The community is still waiting for the army and my child is on drugs. He’s sitting at a drug house every night and worrying about where my child is. So we really need the army to come out for us, please.”

Meanwhile, in the Western Cape, two people were shot and killed in Hanover Park earlier today, just hours before the deployment.

Western Cape Police Commissioner, Thembisile Patekile, has urged communities to work with authorities and not harbour criminals.

“We are focusing on the gang leaders and the gang members. So the houses that we’ve been searching, it’s not just we’re just smelling it. These operations prosper is intelligence-led operations.

“So we’re focusing on that, as we move, there are people gathering intelligence and technical intelligence that we could hit on it, react on it as we move with the operations daily.”

Patekile says the deployment of soldiers is a much-needed intervention in the fight against escalating violence in the province.

“We needed more boots on the ground and we will never be saying no to any assistance to ensure that we get the gang violence and all the violent crimes down in the Western Cape. We needed more boots on the ground and also the feel-safe part of the members of the public.”

This is where the sandf should start.
This and hospitals. https://t.co/fRIstnFqe0

— Runaway Racdurde (@reituH2O) April 1, 2026

Why is the SANDF only raid searching the Townships in Cape Town? Do Parklands too.

— Ami (@AmiJaneD) April 1, 2026

These SANDF is used for useless criminals instead of all those in Madlanga the so called big 5 nxae https://t.co/pYd8YtfbIX

— £€FA PH€KO (@lefapheko6) April 1, 2026