Riyaz Patel
President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in crime-plagued areas of the Western Cape until 31 March 2020.
The extension comes into effect today, Monday 16 September.
SANDF officers were dispatched to the Western Cape to support the police in stamping out criminality and bringing about stability in the affected areas of the province.
Last week, Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula said they had received a request from Premier Alan Winde, asking for the SANDF to stay for at least another six months.
The SANDF were originally deployed to help in joint operations with police in 10 areas with the highest attempted murder rates – Bishop Lavis, Mitchells Plain, Delft; Elsies River, Nyanga, Khayelitsha, Mfuleni, Philippi, Kraaifontein and Manenberg.
President Ramaphosa authorised the original employment of the SANDF in July 2019 for a two-month period amid calls for action over high-levels of deadly gang-on-gang violence in some of Cape Town’s gang-infested suburbs.
The President commended the law enforcement agencies for their work and said he appreciates the community’s efforts in support the various security and law enforcement agencies.
