Cape Town — Community leaders across the Cape Flats have urged the national government to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to patrol gang-ridden neighbourhoods, citing a sharp rise in shootings and gang-related killings in the Western Cape.
According to provincial parliamentarian Deidré Baartman, the province has become the epicentre of gang violence in South Africa.
She revealed that in the 2024/25 financial year alone, of the 4,467 murders recorded in the Western Cape, 882 were directly linked to gang activity.
“The Western Cape, though home to less than 12 per cent of South Africa’s population, accounts for nearly 90 per cent of the country’s gang-related murders,” Baartman said, as quoted by IOL.
Liam Jacobs, a representative of the Patriotic Alliance, has been outspoken in demanding immediate government action.
“Coloured lives matter. When I say ‘Coloured lives matter’, it does not imply that only Coloured lives matter. We are saying that Coloured lives matter too. And it is these Coloured lives that are being lost on a daily basis,” Jacobs said.
“They’re lost through gun violence, gang violence, every single day. And the very system that is supposed to protect us is failing.”
He added: “All we are asking of this system is peace … because it is going to be impossible to make sure that we have long-term healing if we don’t have stability.”
Jacobs reiterated his call on social media, writing:
“Coloured Lives Matter. This is bigger than politics. It is about us finally standing up and demanding that our communities get the attention we deserve! This can’t go on anymore! #colouredlivesmatter #clm.”
Coloured Lives Matter. This is bigger than politics. It is about us finally standing up and demanding that our communities get the attention we deserve! This can’t go on anymore! #colouredlivesmatter #clm pic.twitter.com/Yj6gRTdrdb
— Liam Jacobs (@LiamJacobsZA) November 4, 2025
While SANDF deployment has taken place in previous years, experts caution against viewing it as a sustainable solution.
Professor Theo Neethling, a political studies scholar, noted that while “extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures,” the deeper social and economic drivers of violence — including youth unemployment, under-resourced policing, and entrenched poverty — must be urgently addressed.
The 2024/25 Policing Needs and Priorities (PNP) report supports this assessment, warning that the Western Cape faces critical service shortfalls. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia further emphasised the scale of the challenge, saying gangs are “well-organised, structured as businesses, well-financed, and armed,” while the state’s capacity for intelligence-driven operations remains insufficient.
As public pressure mounts, President Cyril Ramaphosa has clarified that he does not personally authorise SANDF deployments for domestic operations such as anti-gang missions.
Speaking to the media, Ramaphosa explained that although he is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, his office cannot independently order such action.
“This is not my department. I am not the one who authorises the deployment of soldiers. That is handled by the relevant ministers and security structures,” he said.
Honourable Members,
The President is not responsible for the authorisation of the deployment of the SAPS Special Task Force or the National Intervention Unit.
Such deployment falls within the statutory and operational authority of the National Commissioner of the South… pic.twitter.com/1lRRFNA0Jf
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) November 6, 2025
Meanwhile, community activists are planning a mass demonstration on December 1 in which participants will wear black to commemorate victims of gang violence. Jacobs has said, “Everywhere in the world, they will know about the struggle and the names of our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives to violence. It is the army, or it is nothing.”
The emerging consensus among leaders, analysts and residents is that unless there is a coordinated assault on gang logistics, improved policing capacity and the root-causes of gang recruitment are tackled, the situation on the ground will continue to deteriorate. The call for army deployment may be the most visible demand, but it serves as a symptom of a far deeper crisis — one that, many warn, will not be resolved by boots in the streets alone.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
