Western Cape SAPS Defends SANDF Deployment Amid Criticism, As Violent Crimes Continue Unabated

• The South African Police Service (SAPS) has responded to concerns about the crime in the Western Cape, despite the presence of the army
• The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was deployed to the province in April 2026, under the Operation Prosper banner
• The province had reported a drop in the murder rate before the deployment, but social media users are sceptical about those figures

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

WESTERN CAPE – The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape has responded to criticism about the army’s deployment to the province.

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was deployed to the province in April 2026 by President Cyril Ramaphosa, under Operation Prosper.

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Despite the presence of the SAPS and SANDF at crime hotspots, gang and gun violence continue unabated. Close to 200 people have reportedly been killed since the deployment of the army, with shootings being reported almost daily.

Police call for patience

As concern and criticism mount over the continued violence, police have called for patience.

Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Policing, Major-General Luyanda Damoyi, made the appeal during the release of the quarterly provincial crime statistics on Thursday, 28 May 2026.

"The army is just above 500 members; we cannot deploy the army all over the City of Cape Town," General Damoyi said.

He explained that police had identified the 17 police stations, which contributed 50% of the violent crimes, and the army was deployed to those stations.

He further defended efforts, saying police had seen positive signs since the deployment.

"From April until now, we have seen a good reduction in crime and confiscation of firearms and drugs. This gives us hope because it's only a short space of time."

Western Cape records drop in murder rate

During the presentation of the quarterly crime stats, Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile said that the province experienced an 8% decrease in murders.

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The province recorded 983 murders between January and March 2026, which was down from the 1,068 murders during the same period last year. Attempted murders decreased by 10.3%, while overall contact crimes dropped by 6.5%.

Despite the decrease, General Patekile conceded that violent crimes remained high.

"Despite the reduction recorded, crime is still high. Violent crimes are exceptionally high in the Western Cape. Illegal firearms continue to drive murders, attempted murders, robberies, and other violent crimes," he said.

South Africans weigh in on crime stats

Social media users shared their thoughts on the drop in stats, sharing scepticism about how accurate the figures were.

Marius Joubert asked:

“What about all the inquest cases that are murders. Were these figures taken into account?”

Stephen Dunn said:

“Because gangsterism is at an all-time high, and even when caught, our courts are too useless in sentencing these criminals to proper sentences. Firstly, most get bail, and then cases take forever. So, there is no real deterrence.”

Elsabe Boshoff claimed:

“There are many murders that are not reported.”

Sue Hyman added:

“Well, I hope this person did pure math at school. Because the people don’t see any change on the ground. In fact, it’s worse.”

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Fai Spitz asked:

“Who is fooling whom?”

Western Cape investigating numerous murders

Briefly News also reported that the province's Serious and Violent Crime Unit was already investigating several shootings across the province over three days.

The South African Police Service is investigating whether the deaths of seven people in five shootings are linked to one another in Khayamandi in Stellenbosch.

Police in the province also launched manhunts after six men were shot dead in Khayelitsha within hours of each other.

Source: Briefly News