Army to move into crime hotspots to bolster police ‘within 10 days’

The deployment of soldiers to various provinces plagued by violent crime, gangsterism and other forms of violent crime will start in the next 10 days. This after a meeting of police commissioner Fannie Masemola and the chief of the SANDF, Gen Rudzani Maphwanya, on Monday. The announcement was made in the National Assembly on Tuesday by police minister Firoz Cachalia, during the debate on the state of the nation address.

Cachalia told MPs that the deployment of the army to bolster the police in tackling devastating forms of crime would be extended to include the Eastern Cape as well as the Western Cape and Gauteng. “I confirm that the national commissioner of the police and the chief of our army met yesterday to finalise the deployment plan, which will begin in the next 10 days,” said Cachalia to loud applause. “And by direction of the president, I can confirm that the deployment will include the Eastern Cape,” he said.

“This decision is appreciated in communities across our country, from Umtata in the Eastern Cape, to Phillipi and Khayelitsha in the Western Cape … and Reiger Park and Westbury in Gauteng.” The police would go out of their way to ensure that soldiers did not violate the constitutional rights of ordinary people, as was the case during a similar deployment during the Covid lockdown. “In addition, I have asked the national police commissioner to take further steps to strengthen the national gang unit and deploy specialised units of the SAPS, on which I am expecting a report in the next two weeks. “It’s also going to be critical in this spirit to implement steps to strengthen the capabilities that are required for intelligence-driven approaches to dismantle the networks behind organised crime.

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“Multidisciplinary task teams, including the NPA, the SIU and Sars, will be targeting the leadership, finances, firearms and logistics of these criminal cartels. I will be setting up a multidisciplinary organised crime advisory council to oversee the implementation of this comprehensive and integrated strategy to combat organised crime.” Speaking immediately after Cachalia, deputy defence minister Bantu Holomisa confirmed the finalisation of the intervention plan. “Let me assure that the time for these thieves is over. their time is up, we are going to deal with them decisively,” said Holomisa.

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