‘A dangerous thing’: S Africa’s gang-ridden townships fear army deployment

In February 2026, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment of the army to tackle crime, drugs, and gangs in communities across three provinces. The decision follows a growing crisis of gang-related violence, particularly in impoverished townships like Mitchells Plain on the Cape Flats, near Cape Town. The Cape Flats account for the highest rate of gang-related killings in the country. Residents of Tafelsig, a township in Mitchells Plain, seem unbothered by the news. Critics are wary of the President's decision to send the military to tackle crime.

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