President Cyril Ramaphosa is considering deploying the army to areas in South Africa plagued by gang violence, while cautioning that soldiers are trained differently than police officers.
Gang Violence Prompts Consideration of Army Deployment
Ramaphosa addressed journalists following a meeting of the African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) on Saturday, following multiple incidents resulting in the deaths of innocent residents.
He warned that soldiers operate under a different protocol than law enforcement. “A call has been made to deploy the army, and the army as it engages in any situation are not police people, they do not investigate,” Ramaphosa said. “When they see someone doing wrong, they see them as an enemy and they shoot to kill.”
He emphasized the need for a balanced approach, noting that the army could support police efforts. “So we have to balance all the deployment of these forces, and fortunately we have a multi-disciplinary mixed of forces so the army can come in to support the police.”
How Soldiers and Police Can Work Together
Ramaphosa stated that effective collaboration between the army and police requires strong intelligence gathering. “The police must be armed with good intelligence, crime intelligence should be onsite to know exactly who the wrong doers are, and the other forces can come in to give in support,” he said.
He acknowledged that gang violence is a significant challenge currently facing the nation.
26 People Killed in Recent Violence
Last weekend, 26 people died on the Cape Flats in Western Cape. A mass shooting at a tavern in the Marikana informal settlement in Philippi on Saturday, January 17, left at least eight people dead and 10 injured, believed to be linked to extortion.
Between December 29, 2025, and January 11, 2026, the Cape Flats recorded 58 gang-related murders and 60 attempted murders, according to Ian Cameroon, chairperson of parliament’s portfolio committee on police.
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