Bishop Lavis Crime Prevention Forum: SANDF deployment won’t resolve deep-rooted social ills

The Bishop Lavis Crime Prevention Forum said the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in the area will not resolve its deep-rooted social problems.

The military was deployed to the area last Thursday.

The forum said while it welcomes the additional security presence, it believes the intervention will be temporary and could have negative consequences.

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The forum's Graham Lindhorst said many residents are sceptical about the deployment.

"You pick it up. As you go through social media, some community members feel the soldiers are already too heavy-handed in their approach.”

Lindhorst has called on the government to engage directly with communities, saying meaningful dialogue is needed to address the underlying causes of violent crime.

"Government must come into the areas, talk to leaders and look for ways to deal with the social ills within our areas and come into the areas because your intelligence is within our areas."