President Cyril Ramaphosa has directed the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support police efforts against gang violence in the Western Cape and illegal mining in Gauteng. The announcement, made during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), received applause from parliamentarians but has drawn criticism from defence analysts. They argue that the move highlights failures in the police service and strains an underfunded military.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday during his 2026 State of the Nation Address in Cape Town City Hall that the SANDF would assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) in addressing gangsterism on the Cape Flats in the Western Cape and illegal mining in Gauteng. "To strengthen our fight against gang violence, I am deploying the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support the police, as we did to great effect with illegal mining," Ramaphosa stated. He directed the Minister of Police and the SANDF to develop a tactical plan for deployment within the next few days and, as required by the Constitution, to inform the National Assembly (NA) and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) about the timing, place, and cost.
The announcement was met with applause from most Members of Parliament. However, it coincides with Ramaphosa's earlier decision on 8 February to withdraw approximately 700 South African troops from the United Nations peacekeeping mission (Monusco) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the end of the year, ending 27 years of involvement.
Defence analysts have criticized the deployment. John Stupart, in an analysis for Daily Maverick, argued that the SANDF is underfunded and ill-equipped, describing it as "rotting from the outside in" after nearly two decades of budget declines despite a 2015 defence review. He noted that previous SANDF support under Operation Prosper in 2019 failed to reduce gang violence long-term, as murders resumed after troops left, and emphasized that soldiers lack powers of arrest or intelligence capabilities to address root causes like weak governance and social dysfunction.
Similarly, defence analyst Kobus Marais told SABC News that the deployment indicates a "serious structural challenge deficit and the decaying within police service capabilities." He stressed that the police's constitutional mandate is to safeguard citizens internally, while the SANDF's role is external defence. Marais highlighted the SANDF's dilapidated state, with a budget one-third of the police's and fewer personnel, warning that using soldiers against citizens undermines a constitutional democracy.
The topic is expected to feature in parliamentary debates on Tuesday and Wednesday, with Ramaphosa replying on Thursday.
