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transcript
“Organized crime is now the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic growth. Our primary focus this year is on intensifying the fight against organized crime and criminal syndicates.”
When South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared that organized crime was the most immediate threat to democracy in the country, he promised that tackling it would be his top priority.
“I will deploy the South African National Defense Force to support the police, as we did very effectively in the case of illegal mining.”
A month after that speech, troops began appearing on the streets of Johannesburg, marking the first major deployment of troops.
South Africa's largest city, with a population of approximately six million people, is plagued by violent crime and illegal mining gangs, consistently ranking as one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
Nationwide, police reported 6,351 murders from October to December 2025, an average of about 70 per day.
Veronica Foster, a resident of Westbury, Johannesburg, says she hopes the deployment will bring peace.
“Now that's going to happen, they'll calm down. I think they'll know now that the soldiers are here. So the drugs will stop a little bit, the shooting will stop.”
South African police say troops will be deployed to five of the country's nine provinces, with a focus on places with the highest rates of violent crime in the world.
The country has deployed the military several times in recent years to deal with public disorder.
In 2020, troops were also deployed to enforce strict lockdown rules during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Westbury local Brittany Scott says she hopes her presence will make a difference.
“It's a different feeling because the last time we saw them was during COVID, so it's really good to see them again, we feel more safe. I hope they make a difference. I hope they make a difference.”
Abandoned mines on the outskirts of Johannesburg have become hot spots for illegal gold mining.
South African authorities estimate that there are about 30,000 illegal miners working in some of the country's 6,000 abandoned mines.
He says these gangs are usually run by heavily armed crime syndicates, who are often ruthless in defending their operations.
While many are welcoming the troops, Westbury local Moesha Boysen says authorities need to proactively dismantle the gangs.
“How long are they going to keep trying to come into our communities and protect them? Because as soon as they leave, everything goes back to normal. They're out here traveling in their cars. I hope they can go on foot, door to door, not driving in their cars, standing with their big guns for no reason. They need to stand up and walk with the community because we're tired. As you can see, they're standing around. They're not going door to door. Like they're having a mass shooting in Westbury.”
Street gangs are also a major issue in the country, with rival groups struggling for control of the illegal drug trade and engaging in extortion and contract killings.
Bystanders, including children, are often caught in the crossfire and lose their lives as collateral damage in gang-related shootings.
In Cape Town, one of South Africa's most popular tourist cities, authorities say the Western Cape province is where about 90 percent of the country's gang-related murders occur.
Craven Engel is the founder of Ceasefire, a public-health focused non-profit organization designed to stop gang violence in Cape Town.
He says the presence of these gangs hinders the development of communities.
“If mass violence is happening then nothing is happening within the community because everyone blames it on the 5 per cent group that creates the violence. And the other 95 per cent suffer because of the 5 per cent group that creates the violence. So what they do is, the effect is that there are no developmental things happening within the communities.”
President Ramaphosa, well aware of South Africa's past and the troops deployed to suppress pro-democracy protests under apartheid, says it is important not to deploy the military without good reason.
But, with the murder rate set to increase by 25 percent between 2019 and 2024, he says it has now become necessary.
In the suburb of Riverslee, resident Yasin Botha says he feels safer knowing the army is nearby.
“I feel unsafe because we don't know when the next shooting is going to happen and we don't know who is being targeted. So, with the visibility of the army and the visibility of the police, I can assure you that I will feel 100% safe because I will know that in the event of a firing of two minutes or less than a minute, the police will have visibility.”
Craven Engel says that although people have mixed feelings about the deployment, they would welcome even a single day without shooting.
“I think I have some mixed feelings when it comes to the army. A lot of people want the army here because they are tired and sick of the violence. They feel like nothing brings solutions. So from my perspective a good percentage of people are that they want the army here. They're hoping that the army will bring a little peace. Actually when we come and we create solutions, even if it's for a day, the community will start clapping because one day its Without shooting.”