Ramaphosa decides to keep SANDF on Cape Flats until March 2020

In a statement on Monday afternoon, the presidency announced that the military deployment on Cape Town’s Cape Flats would continue for several more months.

Spokesperson Khusela Diko said that President Cyril Ramaphosa had used Section 201(2)(a) of the Constitution, read with Section 19 of the Defence Act, to extend the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in crime-affected parts of the Western Cape until 31 March.

“The extension comes into effect today,” she added.

The initial deployment period was to have come to an end today.

The DA had earlier on Monday said in a statement that Western Cape Premier Alan Winde had written to Ramaphosa and Defence Minister Nosiviwe-Mapisa Nqakula requesting that the SANDF deployment be extended, but with certain conditions “to address the shortcomings assessed over the past three months”.

“The army’s presence has been welcomed by many residents, and should therefore continue until we see a considerable decrease in levels of crime because SAPS alone, due to under-resourcing and under-staffing, cannot deliver on its mandate to keep residents safe,” said the DA’s Bonginkosi Madikizela.

Diko said that Ramaphosa had, in compliance with the Constitution, informed the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Thandi Modise, and Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Amos Masondo, of the extended deployment of armed forces.

Ramaphosa commended all law enforcement agencies for the work done thus far and further extended his appreciation to the affected communities for supporting the work of the various security and law enforcement agencies in stamping out criminality and bringing about stability in the affected areas of the province.

The presidency did not indicate whether the terms of the deployment would change, as called for by the provincial leadership.

Madikizela said that Winde has requested that the army be deployed in the Western Cape for a further six months with the following conditions:

1. Clear indicators of success and measurement tools need to be put in place to track the impact the deployment is having.
2. The Western Cape Government proposed a blended strategy which would allow for a better combination of law enforcement, community mobilisation and availability of social service interventions to targeted groups.
3. A co-ordinated response from local, provincial and national government.
4. A problem-oriented approach where specific crime types are analysed and law enforcement responses are customised to areas, based on needs and requirements.
5. Criminal and violent groupings must be given clear messages that they are under scrutiny and that any violence, or acts triggering violence, will receive special attention and increased enforcement.
6. Premier Winde has undertaken to convene and chair a “Safety Cabinet” of stakeholders to co-ordinate the responses of the provincial government, City of Cape Town and the SAPS, NPA and SANDF, among others. Together, they must develop a joint plan of action to be implemented throughout the period of further deployment.

“The recent Crime Statistics were a scary reminder that we still have a long way to go. Creating safer communities must be a collaborative and multi-disciplinary effort where every possible solution is explored in order to save lives,” added the DA.

(Compiled by Charles Cilliers)

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