The Cape Crime Crisis Coalition has rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa’s proposal to redeploy the South African National Defence Force to gang-affected communities in Gauteng and the Western Cape, arguing that a military presence will not deliver lasting results.
Instead, the coalition is calling for the declaration of a provincial state of disaster, saying it would unlock broader government resources and support long-term interventions to address gang violence and organised crime.
The group pointed to the SANDF’s 2019 deployment in several hotspots, including Mitchells Plain, which it said had limited and short-lived success. According to the coalition, while there was a slight drop in murders during the initial weeks, the gains were not sustained once the troops withdrew.
Coalition representative Llewellyn MacMaster said research conducted by the organisation showed the intervention failed to significantly curb violent crime over time.
“It showed that maybe in the first month there was a reduction in murders, but we found no evidence that the Army presence significantly reduced murders,” he said.
MacMaster described the fight against gangsterism as a long-term effort that requires more than a security-focused response.
“This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Declaring a state of disaster recognises that this is not just a military or policing problem, but one rooted in deep socioeconomic challenges that fuel organised crime,” he said.
He added that a disaster declaration in crime hotspots would allow authorities to mobilise funding, services and coordinated interventions more effectively.