Pretoria: President Cyril Ramaphosa has moved to assure the nation that the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) within the country was done with good reason. The President addressed the nation through his weekly newsletter following the commemoration of Armed Forces Day at Limpopo on Saturday, 21 February 2026.
According to South African Government News Agency, in the State of the Nation Address earlier this month, President Ramaphosa announced that the SANDF will be deployed to assist the police in combatting illegal mining and gang violence in Gauteng and the Western Cape. He emphasized the importance of not deploying the SANDF inside the country to handle domestic threats without justification, given South Africa’s history where the apartheid state used the army to suppress opposition.
The President stated that the recent deployment has become necessary due to a surge in violent organized crime threatening the safety of citizens and the authority of the state. The SANDF will operate in support of the South African Police Service (SAPS), under police command, with clear rules of engagement and for specific time-limited objectives. The military may be called upon to provide protection in high-risk operations or support cordon-and-search operations against armed criminals, alongside other interventions.
The deployment will include securing critical infrastructure, allowing SAPS members to concentrate on investigations, arrests, and building cases for successful prosecutions. Other measures, such as strengthening anti-gang units and illegal mining task teams, are also being implemented. The police will collaborate with the National Prosecuting Authority on multi-disciplinary task teams to target criminal networks’ leadership, finances, firearms, and logistics.
The SANDF has previously been called upon in South Africa for maintaining security, supporting disaster response, and aiding development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the SANDF helped enforce disaster regulations, safeguard borders, support anti-crime efforts with the SAPS, and set up field hospitals. They also supported relief efforts during recent floods in Limpopo and Mpumalanga and provided healthcare services to over 50,000 people through Project Owethu.
President Ramaphosa acknowledged the financial strain on the SANDF but assured that the government is working to close funding gaps and enhance the readiness of the armed forces. Efforts are underway to include more young people in the SANDF, with applications recently opened for the 2027 Military Skills Development System, providing young people opportunities to gain skills and training in various military services.
The President emphasized that since its formation in 1994, the SANDF has marked a decisive break from its past role in apartheid oppression. Today, the armed forces are loyal to the democratic Constitution, subject to civilian oversight, and reflect the nation’s diversity, operating in strict adherence to international humanitarian law.