Ramaphosa deploys South African military to combat gang violence and illegal mining

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday that he will deploy the South African National Defence Force to assist police in addressing gang violence and illegal mining operations. The deployment will focus on the Western Cape and Gauteng provinces, which contain the nation's largest cities. Ramaphosa characterized organized crime as the most immediate threat to the country's democracy and economic development during his annual state of the nation address.

South Africa records between 60 and 64 murders per day, a rate significantly higher than many other nations relative to its population. Authorities reported that the country lost more than $3 billion in gold to the illegal mine trade in 2024 alone. The military will target "zama zamas," or illegal miners, who are often described as armed individuals involved in criminal syndicates operating in abandoned gold mines.

In addition to the military deployment, the government plans to recruit 5,500 new police officers and increase intelligence efforts against crime syndicates. Ramaphosa also stated that municipal officials would face criminal charges for failing to deliver water to communities, citing a worsening water crisis caused by a drying climate and infrastructure maintenance failures. The announcement follows recent protests in Johannesburg where some neighborhoods were without water for over 20 days.