South Africa Combats Gang Violence with Military Deployment

Sat Feb 14 2026 01:18:57 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a decisive response to rampant gang violence and illegal mining, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announces military support for police interventions in the hard-hit provinces of Western Cape and Gauteng.

Amid growing concerns over organized crime in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared the deployment of the military to assist police in tackling severe gang violence and illegal mining activities. The initiative is particularly focused on the crisis in the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces. Ramaphosa emphasized that organized crime poses a significant threat to the nation’s democracy and economic development, with continued efforts including recruitment of more police and intelligence enhancements.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment of the army to assist the police in confronting escalating criminal gang activities and illegal mining. In his annual State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa articulated that organized crime represents a pressing threat to democracy, societal stability, and economic progress in the nation.

“I will be deploying the South African National Defence Force to support the police,” he stated, acknowledging that the police have faced challenges in suppressing violent criminal gangs. This deployment will commence in Western Cape and Gauteng, regions severely impacted by gang violence and illegal mining operations, respectively.

Last month, Police Minister Firoz Cachalia revealed that law enforcement agencies were struggling to deal with insidious criminal gangs, underlining the extent of South Africa's crime crisis. Ramaphosa's measures aim to bolster police capacity with the recruitment of 5,500 new officers and enhance intelligence operations against crime syndicates.

In a poignant reflection on the plight of citizens, he stated, “Children here in the Western Cape are caught in the crossfire of gang wars.” Illegal miners in Gauteng are forcing people from their homes,” highlighting the dire consequences of these criminal enterprises.

The military's involvement, along with systemic reforms, is anticipated to provide a structured response to the challenges posed by organized crime in South Africa, a nation currently grappling with one of the highest murder rates globally, averaging 63 homicides per day from April to September last year.