On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the impending deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to the Cape Flats. Their mandate, he said, would be to assist police in the battle against gangsterism.
The plan drew mixed reactions from residents, politicians and civil society. While many believe it will silence the guns for now, critics warn of potential human rights abuses that could occur with soldiers in densely-populated neighbourhoods.
Abie Isaacs, chairperson of the Cape Flats Safety Forum, is hopeful that it will deliver reprieve from turf wars. However, he is calling for more measures to address the root causes of gang violence in the area.
“The deployment of SANDF is a force multiplier. While the police execute operational plans, the SANDF must be there to cover the perimeter. It also frees up the police to do other activities,” he explained in an interview with Salaamedia.
The army has been here before. In July 2019, Ramaphosa sent soldiers to the Flats. Although the deployment was initially intended to last just two months, it dragged on for nearly nine months, at a cost of R64 million.
SMread: SANDF joins gang violence fight
The latest deployment comes after a particularly deadly period. Between late December 2025 and the middle of January 2026, the area was the scene of at least 58 gang-related murders and 60 attempted murders, also gang-related.
Isaacs believes the SANDF deployment will free up capacity for other government agencies to do their work, including the department of social development and South African Police Service (SAPS).
“We need to look deeper into the root causes of crime,” he said, identifying “overcrowding, teenage pregnancies, school dropouts” amongst other challenges. “Whilst we have SANDF to stabilise the other departments need to move in and do the necessary [work].”
Although the announcement created expectations that help was on its way, Ramaphosa is yet to request Parliament’s approval for the deployment.
Image: SANDF on the streets in 2019. Credit: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp
