SONA 2026 | Ramaphosa sends army to crush organised crime on Cape Flats

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist police in tackling organised crime, gang violence, and illegal mining, warning that criminal networks have found a new shape to weaken the state.

Delivering his 10th State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Cape Town on Thursday, Ramaphosa said the military would be deployed in the Western Cape and Gauteng.

“I have directed the Minister of Police [Firoz Cachalia] and the SANDF to develop a technical plan on where our security forces should be deployed within the next few days,” he said.

Residents in gang-controlled areas live under constant threat.

In Cape Town, children dodge stray bullets in classrooms, and families sleep on floors to avoid gunfire.

Gauteng communities near illegal mines face intimidation, violent clashes over mining rights, and economic devastation as criminal syndicates extract resources outside of the law.

Ramaphosa framed the deployment as a constitutional, carefully planned operation.

He said he would inform Parliament of the timing, location, and costs of the mission.

“We have to act to rid our country of gang violence,” he said, adding that the strategy goes beyond enforcement to tackle root causes, including improving street lighting and access to social services.

Gun crime, he said, would be addressed through stricter enforcement of licensing and regulations, while police ranks would expand with the recruitment of 5,500 new officers this year, adding to the 20,000 announced previously.

The President also highlighted the growing threat of illegal and counterfeit goods, which undermine jobs and industry.

He announced a national illicit economy disruption program using data analytics and AI to target high-risk sectors, including tobacco, fuel, and alcohol.

For communities trapped in gang territory or living next to illegal mining operations, the announcement offers a rare glimpse of hope.

Ramaphosa said this was the government’s effort to fight crime and corruption head-on.