Mapaballo Borotho
- Residents of Sporong informal settlement are calling for the urgent deployment of the SANDF.
- The community says soldiers will bring relief after weeks of violence linked to illegal mining.
- The army is expected to intensify joint operations with police in Gauteng hotspots.
Residents of the Sporong informal settlement in Randfontein have urged Cyril Ramaphosa to fast-track the deployment of the South African National Defence Force.
The embattled community says it is eagerly waiting for the arrival of the soldiers, describing it as much-needed relief after months of fear.
Sporong is among the areas expected to receive the army deployment, after Ramaphosa announced last night during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) that the SANDF will be deployed in parts of Gauteng and the Western Cape to assist police in violent crimes.
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Residents in this area were tortured and forced out of their homes a few weeks ago by illegal miners.
They have since gone back to their homes, as the area is now guarded with a heavy police presence.
In the coming days, the SANDF is expected to intensify its joint operations with police to combat illegal mining in identified Gauteng hotspots.
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