This archive report was first published on 12 July 2019.
Published on July 12, 2019, by REUTERS
South Africa is taking drastic measures to quell a surge in violence in gang-infested parts of Cape Town, deploying a battalion of soldiers to help police maintain order.
The deployment, which will take place from July to October, follows a visit by Police Minister Bheki Cele to the Philippi shanty town on the Cape Flats after several murders last week.
Recent bloodshed in mainly poor black and coloured mixed-race areas has been likened to a “war zone” by a provincial official, with over 2,000 people killed since January.
Communities in those districts often bear the brunt of violence in the Cape Flats, where high rates of unemployment and drug abuse have fuelled gang activity.
“The South African National Defence Force will deploy a battalion with support elements during Operation PROSPER,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
However, analysts have warned that deploying the army is not a lasting solution to the crisis, describing it as a “short-term, unsustainable response”.
