‘Not a Magic Bullet’: SANDF Deploys for One Year to Tackle Crime, Illegal Mining

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is set to deploy soldiers for a year to provinces struggling to quell rampant crime and illegal mining, according to a mission plan presented to Parliament.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment last month, calling organised crime the “most immediate threat” to SA’s democracy and economic development.

Troops are due to move into affected provinces this month.

The Mission

The mission is scheduled to run until 31 March next year, according to the plan presented to Parliament’s policing committee.

The operation will focus on provinces including the Western Cape, notorious for deadly gang violence on the outskirts of Cape Town.

But no boots are on the ground yet. Mission-readiness training and the establishment of a joint command structure must still take place before deployment begins.

“It’s not something that happens immediately or overnight,” said Major-General Mark Hankel.

The Criticism

The plan has drawn criticism from experts and opposition parties, who argue:

• Troops lack policing skills

• The costly move admits the police have failed to curb violent crime

The Defence

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia defended the mission, saying it would create space for the rollout of a broader organised crime strategy.

“The deployment of the South African National Defence Force is not being presented as a panacea, as a magic bullet,” Cachalia told lawmakers.

“This country is in its FBI moment. We need a new paradigm.”

The Context

Excluding countries at war, South Africa has one of the world’s highest homicide rates, with an average of 60 killings each day.

SA has repeatedly turned to the army in times of crisis:

• Enforcing COVID lockdowns in 2020

• Deploying troops during deadly riots sparked by the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma in 2021

The Bottom Line

Soldiers are coming. They will stay for a year. They will support police in gang-ridden and mining-afflicted areas.

But as Cachalia admits, this is not a silver bullet. It’s a holding actionbuying time while a new strategy takes shape. The question is whether, after a year, the “FBI moment” will have arrivedor whether the troops will simply be asked to stay longer.

{Source: Citizen}

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