Pretoria – The deployment of more than 2,000 soldiers to assist police is aimed at stabilising some of South Africa’s most violent crime hotspots, according to National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola.
Masemola and Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), briefed the media in Pretoria on Sunday after President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of the troops to support the South African Police Service (SAPS) in operations targeting gangsterism, illegal mining and organised crime.
According to Masemola, gang violence in the Western Cape and Gauteng continues to drive high levels of murder, extortion, drug trafficking and the proliferation of illegal firearms.
Watch below as Masemola addresses the media (Courtesy of SABC News)
Meanwhile, illicit mining networks in provinces such as the Free State and North West are also fuelling violence and causing significant economic damage.
He said the military presence is expected to stabilise affected communities, allowing specialised investigators to focus on dismantling organised crime networks operating in those areas.
Masemola said the deployment would allow law enforcement to “stabilise hotspot areas whilst the teams of organised crime will then have enough chance to infiltrate and do investigation in the targeted areas.”
He added that criminal activities such as illegal mining, gang violence, corruption, illicit firearm trafficking and attacks on critical infrastructure are interconnected, requiring what he described as “an extraordinary and integrated response by government.”
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
