South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the deployment of the army to support police in tackling criminal gangs and illegal mining operations, highlighting organised crime as a critical threat to the country’s democracy, society, and economic growth.
Speaking during his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, Ramaphosa said the military would be first deployed in the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces, home to Cape Town and Johannesburg, respectively, where gang violence and illegal mining have escalated.
“Children here in the Western Cape are caught in the crossfire of gang wars. People are chased out of their homes by illegal miners in Gauteng,” Ramaphosa said, emphasizing the urgent need for decisive action.
The president noted that illegal miners, known locally as “zama zamas”, are often armed, undocumented foreign nationals linked to organised crime syndicates. Authorities have long struggled to contain these groups, which contribute significantly to South Africa’s high murder and crime rates.
In addition to military deployment, Ramaphosa announced plans to recruit 5,500 police officers, strengthen intelligence operations, and intensify crackdowns on crime syndicates.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest murder rates, with police reporting an average of 63 deaths per day between April and September last year, underlining the severity of the security crisis.
