Bantu Holomisa Warns Criminals There Will Be No More Nonsense After SANDF Deployment, SA Reacts

• Bantu Holomisa weighed in on President Cyril Ramaphosa's decision to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to help the police
• The Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans warned criminals that there will be zero tolerance going forward
• South Africans weighed in on the Deputy Minister's comments, with some expressing concern about the state of the country's army

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – General Bantu Holomisa has warned that there will be no more nonsense when the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is deployed.

The SANDF will be deployed to the Western Cape and Gauteng to deal with gang violence and illegal mining. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the SANDF would be deployed to the provinces during his State of the Nation Address on 12 February 2026.

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The move has been welcomed by Holomisa, who is the Deputy Minister of Defence and Military Veterans. Holomisa, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader, said that the army would play a big role in supporting the police. He also issued a warning to criminals.

Deputy minister issues warning to criminals

Speaking to the Sunday Times about the deployment, Holomisa said he believed President Ramaphosa had taken the first step in addressing, with some focusing the country’s crime crisis, adding that there would be no more nonsense.

“No more nonsense will be allowed. No more chance-takers. This is an opportunity for the president to crack down on lawlessness. I see it as a first phase in confronting criminals,” Holomisa said.

He added that while the emphasis was on dealing with gangsters in the Western Cape and illegal mining in Gauteng, he foresees the SANDF also being used to deal with other crimes.

“We are restoring law and order. And it’s clear that this operation will end up getting involved in other crucial areas,” he said.

South Africans react to Holomisa’s comments

Social media users weighed in on Holomisa’s comments, sharing mixed reactions, with some focusing on the state of the SANDF.

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Sarel Stander said:

“Don’t forget to give every soldier ammunition, two rounds each. That is, if you have ammunition.”

Correia De Freitas Victor stated:

“We must see it to believe it.”

Yamnkela Memela noted:

“Realistically, we can’t expect much when there are reports of basic resource shortages like ammunition. That’s concerning and honestly embarrassing.”

Tando Mantsha exclaimed:

“There is no state of emergency, no disaster. Covering up corruption by sending the SANDF instead of investigating and arresting those who fuel gang violence and sell drugs. This is just another fruitless exercise like the 2017 and 2019 deployments of the SANDF in the Western Cape. Empty threats won't fix corruption in the country.”

Michael Charles Blankenberg noted with concern:

“The army will stand no chance against the gangs on the Cape Flats.”

Ismail Carr suggested:

“They should start arresting those cartels that are operating within the police and go after the big gang bosses. The police know who they are. The South African Revenue Service should investigate them.”

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Ramaphosa confident in SANDF deployment

Briefly News reported that President Ramaphosa discussed in more detail his decision to deploy the SANDF to the Western Cape.

The president expressed confidence that the army would help restore law and order and be able to deal with criminals effectively.

Some Capetonians welcomed the news, but noted that this was a temporary measure and not a permanent solution.

Source: Briefly News