Ramaphosa gives green light for army to go into Cape's gang-infested areas
The South African National Defence Force will join an operation to clamp down on Cape Town's gang infested areas on Friday, Police Minister Bheki Cele announced on Thursday evening.
He made the announcement towards the end of his budget speech, and elaborated further at a press briefing shortly thereafter.
He said after last weekend, where 13 people were killed in 24 hours in Phillipi, he spoke with Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. They concluded: "This can't continue."
They then approached President Cyril Ramaphosa for "extra deployment" in the form of the SANDF. Ramaphosa assented.
Cele said they decided on this move, not because the DA has been agitating for it, but because the communities called for it through the Community Policing Forums.