From feared apartheid force to crime-fighter: Ramaphosa sends SANDF to tackle gangs, illegal mining

President Cyril Ramaphosa. Picture: The Presidency. South Africa’s military, once a feared instrument of apartheid repression, is again being deployed inside the country, this time to confront gang violence and illegal mining.

The move was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation (Sona) address last week. It underscores both the scale of organised crime threatening state authority and the delicate balance of using soldiers in domestic operations, a decision haunted by the country’s violent past. “To strengthen our fight against gang violence, I am deploying the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support the police, as we did to great effect with illegal mining,” Ramaphosa said.

“I have directed the minister of police and the SANDF to develop a tactical plan within the next few days for deployment in the Western Cape and Gauteng to deal with gang violence and illegal mining,” said Ramaphosa during his Sona. Ramaphosa said the SANDF has an important role inside the country. “Given our history, where the apartheid state sent the army into townships to violently suppress opposition, it is important that we do not deploy the SANDF inside the country to deal with domestic threats without good reason.

[paywall]

“This recent deployment has become necessary due to a surge in violent organised crime that threatens the safety of our people and the authority of the state,” Ramaphosa said on Monday. This is not the first time that the SANDF has been deployed inside the country. It has also responded to disasters and supported development.During the recent floods in parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, the SANDF supported relief efforts, assisted with evacuations, repaired damaged infrastructure, and erected temporary structures.

[/paywall]