Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa says the deployment of the South African National Defence Force to gang violence hotspots is being considered, but warned that such a move must be approached with caution because soldiers are trained to “shoot to kill” and not to carry out policing duties.
Speaking outside the ANC National Executive Committee Lekgotla, Ramaphosa said the army does not investigate crimes like the police and views suspects as enemies, which raises serious concerns in civilian settings.
He stressed that any deployment would need to be carefully balanced, with the army playing a supportive role alongside the police rather than replacing them.
“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,” said Ramaphosa.
RAMAPHOSA CONSIDERS DEPLOYING ARMY TO GANG VIOLENCE HOTSPOTS
By Thulani Ndaba
President Cyril Ramaphosa is considering deploying the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist police in areas severely affected by gang violence.
The President revealed that… pic.twitter.com/C9HnTE8ANf
— Thulani Ndaba (@tndaba) January 24, 2026
“When they see someone doing wrong, they see them as an enemy and they shoot to kill.”
The president emphasised the need for strong crime intelligence and coordination between the police and other security forces to effectively target criminals.
“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.”
Ramaphosa said gang violence remains a major national concern, citing recent deadly incidents on the Cape Flats, including a mass shooting in Philippi that left eight people dead and 10 injured.
According to parliamentary figures, the Cape Flats recorded 58 gang-related murders and 60 attempted murders between late December 2025 and mid-January 2026, underscoring the scale of the crisis.
[WATCH] “We need to double up when it comes to waging war on crime and corruption, and also how we should double up on tackling gender-based violence and femicide now that we’ve declared it as a disaster.”
– President Cyril Ramaphosa
#ANCNECLekgotla#YearOfDecisiveAction https://t.co/EBNkx6R7W8 pic.twitter.com/BBNbgHXi4N
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) January 24, 2026
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
