The presence of soldiers should inspire confidence and not fear in communities, said Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, Deputy National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), on Tuesday at a joint parade by the army, police and City of Cape Town metro police in Belhar.
A total of 2 200 soldiers from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are due to be deployed in several provinces on Wednesday, 1 April until 31 March 2027, to assist the SAPS in fighting crime.
“We are going to be led by our intelligence structures,” Mosikili said.
“Today’s parade reaffirms that we are prepared, we are ready, and we want to take this baton and run with it without fear or favour.”
SAPS members, the SAPS K9 unit, soldiers, and metro police participated in Tuesday’s parade. The soldiers performed the national salute, and the SAPS band played the national anthem.
A dog from the SAPS K9 unit at the parade in Belhar on Tuesday. Image: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp
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Fransina Lukas, chair of the National Community Police Forum, said that while the forum supports the deployment, the root causes of crime should also be addressed.
“Without strong and sustained social interventions, we will continue to fight the symptoms rather [than] address the cause,” she said.
She added that the criminal justice system must be strengthened – “from policing to investigating to prosecution and ultimately to successful convictions”.
A total of 2 200 soldiers have been deployed nationwide to assist the police in fighting crime. Image: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp
Anroux Marais, Western Cape MEC for Police Oversight and Community Safety, said she appreciates the bravery of those involved in the deployment.
“You are the shield between lawlessness and the safety of our communities,” she said. “We appeal to our residents to support your efforts during this time.”
She called on the soldiers to “treat law-abiding citizens with dignity and respect”.
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A soldier participates in a joint parade between the SAPS, SANDF and Cape Town metro police on Tuesday. Image: Ashraf Hendricks/GroundUp
SANDF director of operations Brigadier-General Martin Gopane said the objective was to reduce violent crime.
“These communities are our friends, these communities are our brothers and sisters and we are there to protect them,” he said.
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© 2026 GroundUp. This article was first published here.
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