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File: Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).
Western Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile says he’s eager to receive the army’s deployment to assist in combating crime in especially gang infested areas across the Cape Metro.
He has welcomed the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy the South African National Defense Force to gang-ridden areas in the province and Gauteng, to assist the police in clamping down on rampant gun violence.
Patekile addressed a media briefing at SAPS Airwing in Belhar on Friday afternoon. He says as part of Operation Shanela the police are deploying personnel to these gang areas starting tonight.
“We are going to be operating mostly in the gang areas during the day. There was a team that was in Nyanga in the areas where we had the problems that we were sitting with and this one now it’s a JPS cluster we are hoping that their DGS will be joining us in the operation.”
Meanwhile, the Gauteng provincial government says the deployment of the SANDF in the province, will strengthen law enforcement capacity and enhance coordinated operations against illegal mining syndicates.
According to the provincial government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga, Premier Panyaza Lesufi says the deployment is a decisive and necessary intervention to confront the growing threat posed by illegal mining activities.
“Illegal mining has become a serious criminal enterprise that threatens the safety of our communities in Gauteng, exploits vulnerable people and causes extensive environmental damage. The deployment of the soldiers to assist the police, demonstrates government’s commitment to restoring law and order and protecting communities.”
