South Africa to Keep Army in Crime Hotspots for a Year
Last update: March 4, 2026
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Government says military support will target organised crime and illegal mining, despite criticism over cost and policing role.
South Africa will deploy soldiers for a year to provinces struggling to contain rampant crime and illegal mining, according to a mission plan presented to parliament on Wednesday.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the move last month, describing organised crime as the most immediate threat to the country’s democracy and economic development.
Troops are expected to enter affected provinces this month, with the mission running until March 31 next year. The operation will span five of the country’s nine provinces, including the Western Cape, home to Cape Town, where gang violence has long plagued outlying areas.
No soldiers have yet been deployed, as mission readiness training and the creation of a joint command structure must first be completed. Major General Mark Hankel said the process would take time and could not happen overnight.
The plan has faced criticism from experts and opposition parties who argue that soldiers lack policing skills and that the costly deployment reflects a failure to curb violent crime.
Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia defended the operation, saying it would create space for a broader organised crime strategy. He told lawmakers the military’s involvement was not a magic solution but part of what he described as the country’s FBI moment requiring a new approach.
CBI News reports that South Africa has one of the world’s highest homicide rates outside war zones, with about 60 killings reported daily. Violence is fuelled in part by thousands of illegal miners operating in abandoned shafts, particularly in Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg.
The country has previously deployed the military during crises, including the strict Covid 19 lockdown in 2020, the unrest following the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma in 2021, and truck burning incidents in 2023. In 2019, about 1,300 soldiers were sent to assist police in gang affected areas around Cape Town.
