‘Deployment of SANDF to Westbury will take longer than expected’

Acting Police Minister, Firoz Cachalia, says the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to Westbury in Johannesburg, will take longer than expected.

This is despite the recent scourge of gang violence in the area.

In the latest incident on Wednesday, two people were killed and three others were left wounded after suspects opened fire.

WATCH | Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia says it will take time for the SANDF members deployed in crime-ridden areas, as they will have to undergo training in order to understand their role during their deployment. pic.twitter.com/UrDbX0s2oZ

— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 7, 2026

A 15-month-old baby is among the wounded.

Cachalia says the soldiers will have to receive training before they can be deployed to certain communities.

“It is going to take a little bit longer than originally expected and the reason for that is that people are raising legitimate concerns about the risks associated with deploying the army because the soldiers are not trained in policing. So, we have to ensure that we take them through a training process of understanding their role and also their limits of their responsibility,” Cachalia says.

Related video| Cachalia will no longer visit Westbury victims:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIcf82UOu10