South Africa’s Ramaphosa says troops will deploy to tackle crime gangs

President Cyril Ramaphosa says the military will work with the country’s police force to counter ‘gang wars’ that threaten ‘our democracy’.Published On 13 Feb 2026South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he will deploy the army to work alongside the police to tackle high levels of gang violence and other crimes in the country.Ramaphosa said on Thursday that he had directed the chiefs of the police and army to draw up a plan on where “our security forces should be deployed within the next few days in the Western Cape and in Gauteng to deal with gang violence and illegal mining”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Trump is the ‘elephant in the room’ as the African Union holds new summitlist 2 of 4South Africa orders expulsion of Israeli envoy, declared persona non gratalist 3 of 4Africa must boycott the 2026 World Cuplist 4 of 4Why is South Africa upset about Iran joining BRICS naval drills?end of list“Organised crime is now the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic development,” the president said in his annual state of the nation address.“Children here in the Western Cape are caught in the crossfire of gang wars. People are chased out of their homes by illegal miners in Gauteng,” he told Parliament in his address.“I will be deploying the South African National Defence Force to support the police,” he said.South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, with approximately 60 deaths each day involving killings in wars between drug gangs in areas of Cape Town and mass shootings linked to illegal mining in Johannesburg’s Gauteng province.The South African leader said other measures to fight crime include recruiting 5,500 police officers and boosting intelligence while identifying priority crime syndicates.“The cost of crime is measured in lives that are lost and futures that are cut short. It is felt also in the sense of fear that permeates our society and in the reluctance of businesses to invest,” Ramaphosa said.Residents look on as police stand guard while South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visits crime-ridden Hanover Park to launch a new Anti-Gang Unit, in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2018 [File: Mike Hutchings/Reuters]Crime syndicatesGuns are the most commonly used weapon in South Africa, according to authorities, and illegal firearms are used in many crimes, despite the stringent rules governing gun ownership in the country.