By Bulelwa Hoala
- Hundreds of South African National Defence Force members arrived in Johannesburg and were deployed to patrol crime-affected areas including Eldorado Park and Riverlea.
- The deployment follows an announcement by Cyril Ramaphosa during the State of the Nation Address that the SANDF would support the South African Police Service in tackling illegal mining syndicates and violent gangs.
- Despite plans for the operation to begin within 10 days, Ian Cameron recently raised concerns in Parliament about delays in the deployment.
Hundreds of SANDF members finally landed in Johannesburg on Wednesday afternoon, 11 March 2026.
The deployed soldiers arrived in Eldorado Park in armoured vehicles, where they were welcomed by local councillor Juwairiya Kaldine. They were also seen patrolling the streets of Riverlea, another area with high levels of crime and gang violence.
In a related incident, a young man was taken in by South African Police Service (SAPS) following a SANDF-led raid at his home in Westbury.
Watch the video below:
WATCH: Members of the SANDF are firmly on the ground in various parts of Gauteng riddled by crime.
This follows a deployment by President Cyril Ramaphosa in three provinces. KH #KayaNews pic.twitter.com/2dyp0uDXrv— Kaya News (@KayaNews) March 11, 2026
The deployment follows president Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement during the 12 February State of the Nation Address that the SANDF would support SAPS in combating illegal mining syndicates and violent gangs across Gauteng and the Western Cape, including the crime-ridden Eastern Cape.
Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia confirmed the deployment during the SONA debate on 18 February. He said the plan had been finalised by SAPS National Commissioner Fannie Masemola and SA Army Chief Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, with operations initially scheduled to begin within 10 days.
However, on Monday, 9 March, Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police Ian Cameron raised serious concerns in Parliament about delays in deploying SANDF members.
“The lack of planning, uncertainty and silo mentality has been evident in the pre-deployment phase since the announcement made by the President during the 2026 State of the Nation Address. A presidential directive cannot be handled with such lethargy and apparent disinterest,” Cameron said.
According to multiple reports, in a note to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza on 5 March, President Ramaphosa said that 550 soldiers would take part in the Gauteng deployment, which is expected to last until the end of April.
READ NEXT: SANDF deployment to high-crime provinces to begin within 10 days
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