Calls for Prosecutions: Cape Town Leaders Challenge Ramaphosa's Gang Violence Strategy

• The City of Cape Town has questioned Ramaphosa's military deployment to combat gang violence without addressing the root causes
• City officials stressed the need for successful prosecutions over temporary stabilisation to end violence
• President Ramaphosa defended the military's role in restoring peace and developing a tactical plan

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

WESTERN CAPE, CAPE TOWN - The City of Cape Town has questioned President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to deploy soldiers to gang-affected areas in the Western Cape, warning that stabilisation without convictions will not end the violence.

Province need successful prosecutions

During his State of the Nation Address on Thursday, 12 February 2026, Ramaphosa announced that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) would be deployed to parts of the Western Cape and Gauteng to combat gang violence and illegal mining. He described organised crime as the most immediate threat to South Africa's democracy, society and economic development. The deployment marks the second time since 2019 that the army has been sent to stabilise gang-ridden communities in the Western Cape.

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City Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said the province needed successful prosecutions, not a temporary calm. He said the 2019 deployment showed that short-term stabilisation failed to address the root causes of gang violence. Smith demanded that criminals terrorising Western Cape communities be arrested and successfully prosecuted. He said it was unacceptable for case dockets to go missing, investigations to stall, or cases to be withdrawn, allowing suspects to avoid court. He called on Ramaphosa to prioritise long-term solutions.

Ramaphosa said the military deployment aims to protect the peace. He confirmed that he had instructed the acting police minister and the SANDF to develop a tactical plan within days to determine where forces would be deployed in the affected provinces. He warned criminals that soldiers are not police officers and are trained for combat. On Friday, 13 February 2026, Ramaphosa defended the intervention, saying previous joint deployments alongside police had performed well. He said the operational plan would include the costs of the deployment before Parliament is informed.

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Other stories about gang violence

Civil society groups, religious organisations, and members of the public have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy the army to intervene in the violence on the Cape Flats. Western Cape Premier Alan Winde is expected to meet with the Minister of Police, Firoz Cachalia, to discuss the way forward on how to address violence in the province.

Opposition parties are calling on all levels of government to take urgent action against the ongoing gang violence in the Western Cape. Reports from Eyewitness News indicate that in just the first three weeks of January, 195 people were killed in the province, with 78 murders reported between 11 and 17 January 2026 alone.

Police are still struggling to contain gang violence in the Western and Eastern Cape, acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia admitted during a visit to Nelson Mandela Bay on Wednesday, 21 January 2026. Cachalia said law enforcement is overwhelmed by the scale and brutality of organised crime in both provinces.

Source: Briefly News