Cape Crime Crisis Coalition rejects Ramaphosa’s redeployment of SANDF to Cape Flats

The Cape Crime Crisis Coalition has rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to redeploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to the Cape Flats.

It said that the 2019 deployment, called Operation Prosper, had little sustained impact in areas like Mitchells Plain and Nyanga.

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Last Thursday, Ramaphosa, in his State of The Nation Address (SONA), announced the army would be deployed to assist the fight against crime on the Cape Flats and Gauteng.

Chairperson Llewellyn McMaster said the latest deployment shows police oversight has failed and governance measures have been exhausted.

"C4 is on record that it has approached the premier of the Western Cape to declare a provincial state of disaster in the Western Cape, at least in 18 or 31 of the most hot spots. A state of disaster permits the declaration of a social compact, binding government, business, labour, and civil society to a sustained multi-year program of intervention."

McMaster said the deployment of the SANDF reinforces the view that the Cape Flats is a war zone and not a disaster area.

"We are being presented with a false dichotomy that the only choice is between soldiers and surrender. This is false. You cannot patrol your way out of organised crime."