ANC leaders urge Ramaphosa to deploy soldiers amid eThekwini crime concerns
The ANC has called for soldiers to be deployed in the “northern parts” of the city to crackdown on gangsterism and escalating crime. ANC leaders in eThekwini asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to deploy soldiers to the area, including Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu, saying crime had become so severe that some people had abandoned their homes.
The President addressed ANC volunteers on Saturday night following door-to-door campaigns in parts of eThekwini. eThekwini Municipal Council Speaker Thabani Nyawose said crime was another major concern in the northern part of the city, including Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu.
“Criminals are running rampant. Crime in those areas affects ANC volunteers and members. Our volunteers cannot attend meetings late at night, and some people have moved away from their homes because of the crime. Mr President, we are appealing to you to look at the areas in the north and assess whether it is possible for the government to assist the police by deploying soldiers to those areas so that they can help fight crime,” Nyawose said.
David Bruce, an independent researcher on policing and consultant to the Institute for Security Studies, said these calls are possibly best understood as electioneering rather than a serious response to strengthening safety in these areas. The motivation for military deployment in the Western Cape and other areas has primarily been gang conflict and its impact on other residents in those areas.
“The critical issues that need to be addressed to improve safety in eThekwini are strengthening policing and making more effective use of available police resources. There are already two police services active in eThekwini: the SAPS and the Metro Police. The first question I would ask is how these police personnel and resources can be better coordinated to improve responses to crime in areas such as Inanda and KwaMashu. An important element of this is also making much better use of information about crime.”