SANDF troops make way through gang-ridden areas in Cape Town

South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops are making their way through gang-ridden areas in Cape Town on Wednesday.

The soldiers have joined the South African Police Service (SAPS)-led operation in Rocklands, Mitchells Plain, at the start of a year-long deployment to crime hotspots in the Western Cape.

But the provincial government warned that the army's presence is not a long-term solution.

ALSO READ:

CoCT ready to support SAPS and SANDF in tackling violent crime

Community leaders welcome military intervention in Cape Flats crime crisis

DA welcomes SANDF deployment date while warning of resource gaps

Ahead of the army's deployment, shootings flared up in various areas overnight. Gun attacks were reported in areas including Retreat, Manenberg and Hanover Park.

Police said two people were killed in the Hanover Park shooting. The shooters are still at large.

The Western Cape government said the SANDF can provide short-term stabilisation in hard-hit communities.

However, this deployment cannot fix years of police underfunding, staff shortages and the weakening of specialised law enforcement units such as Crime Intelligence, the Anti-Gang Unit and detective services.

Democratic Alliance (DA) Western Cape spokesperson on Police Oversight and Community Safety Bendicta van Minnen said, "An SANDF deployment is not a silver bullet. Soldiers can temporarily stabilise a situation, but they cannot replace proper policing, investigations, and long-term crime prevention."

Van Minnen added that lasting safety will only come through meaningful reform, not temporary assignments.