SANDF deployment offers temporary relief, not long-term solution, says expert

A criminologist and gang expert says the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to gang-infested areas in the Western Cape will bring some relief to communities—but not in the long term.

Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa used his State of the Nation Address to announce that the army will be deployed in the province to assist police in tackling gang violence.

The President's announcement comes as various areas in the Western Cape continue to experience a surge in gang violence, which has left communities gripped in fear and hundreds of people dead over the past year.

Crime and gang expert Professor Irvin Kinnes says Western Cape residents who are experiencing gang violence are desperate for relief.

"You know, one mustn't just brush off the feeling of local people that are experiencing the gang violence," Kinnes says.

He notes that gang-riddled communities will welcome the SANDF troops to their neighbourhoods.

"But I think in the longer term, it's not going to make a significant effect," Kinnes says. "I think the presence of the Defence Force will provide hope, but it is a false hope... because eventually, the Defence Force leaves."

Kinnes says the SAPS senior management needs to go through a transformation—for younger officers to take policing into the future—and regain the communities' trust.