Overview
- The president ordered the police minister and the SANDF to produce a tactical plan within days for deployments in the Western Cape and Gauteng, with reporting also noting preparations in the Eastern Cape.
- He framed the decision as a response to a surge in violent organised crime that threatens public safety and the authority of the state.
- Government acknowledged years of SANDF budget strain and said efforts are underway to close funding gaps and rebuild operational readiness.
- Planned tasks include protection during high‑risk actions, support for cordon‑and‑search operations, and securing critical infrastructure to free SAPS to focus on investigations and prosecutions.
- An academic warned that internal crime‑fighting roles risk eroding troop morale given the military’s apartheid‑era history of domestic repression.