Western Cape govt welcomes army deployment to Cape Town
The Western Cape provincial government has welcomed the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to gang-ridden areas in Cape Town for three months.
The announcement was made by Police Minister Bheki Cele on Thursday as part of the efforts to tackle the high crime rate in the area.
It follows a bloody weekend in the Mother City's townships where at least 13 people were killed in several shootings in Philippi.
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SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini says communities have been calling for this intervention.
"The people in the affected areas have been calling for the SANDF to come in and assist in dealing with gang violence in different areas. I can confirm that the request has been processed, approved and authority has been given to the defense force to begin the deployment. We will be deploying our members according to the SAPS plan because we are supporting them."
Dlamini says the deployment will commence once all the paperwork has been finalised.
The Western Cape's MEC for Public Safety Albert Fritz says the intervention is long overdue.
"The Western Cape government will activate each department’s programs once stabilisation has been achieved in the majority of gang-afflicted communities. This collaboration will report regularly to both the provincial cabinet and premier.”