Military deployment no 'magic bullet' for SA's crime scourge, says Cachalia

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has told Parliament that deploying the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist the police with fighting crime is not a “magic bullet”.

He said the army deployment to help fight gangs, organised crime and illegal mining in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Gauteng is just part of a stabilisation strategy, before more long-term strategies can be put in place.

The intervention came to light during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) last month.

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Cachalia said the deployment is already being rolled out but noted that the police can't share details of their tactical approach.

He was giving an update about the deployment to a joint meeting of the Parliament’s Police Committee and the Committee of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

“The deployment of the SANDF is not being presented as a panacea, as a magic bullet. Alongside, as the national commissioner has said, the deployment of the army is a stabilization strategy or to create space for the implementation of an organized crime strategy,” said Cachalia.

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