Cape town: President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) alongside the South African Police Service (SAPS) is expected to significantly reduce serious and violent crime in areas affected by gangsterism and illicit mining. The President addressed the National Assembly in response to questions regarding the anticipated outcomes and improvements in public safety from this deployment.
According to South African Government News Agency, President Ramaphosa emphasized that the SANDF will serve as a 'force multiplier' to support police operations focused on curbing gang violence in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and Gauteng, as well as tackling illegal mining activities in Gauteng and the North West. He highlighted the necessity of the SANDF's role in complementing the SAPS's efforts to stabilize communities plagued by these issues.
The President clarified that the SANDF members will operate under police command with specific rules of engagement and time-limited objectives. Their role will include providing protection during high-risk police operations, supporting cordon-and-search operations against armed criminals, and securing critical infrastructure. This collaboration aims to free up police officers to concentrate on investigations, arrests, and building strong cases for successful prosecutions.
The deployment is part of broader measures, including strengthening anti-gang units and illegal mining task forces. The police will collaborate with the National Prosecuting Authority through multidisciplinary task teams targeting criminal networks' leadership, finances, firearms, and logistics. President Ramaphosa expressed his aspiration for a substantial reduction in serious and violent crime in the targeted areas through these efforts.
In another segment of the assembly, President Ramaphosa addressed inquiries from Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters about the progress of the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act. The President detailed the preparatory steps being undertaken to implement NHI, aimed at universal health coverage for all South Africans.
Preparations include registering NHI users, establishing accreditation frameworks, and contracting healthcare providers. The government is also advancing digital health systems, such as the Health Patient Registration System and an Electronic Medical Record system intended for over 3,500 public healthcare facilities in the next 15 months. Additionally, investments are being made in healthcare infrastructure, with the refurbishment of older hospitals and construction of new facilities.
Efforts are also underway to increase the workforce of doctors, health professionals, and community health workers. President Ramaphosa assured that implementation of the NHI will proceed gradually, in alignment with available financial resources, and emphasized the government's commitment to providing equal access to quality healthcare for all South Africans. The legal challenges to the NHI Act are expected to be addressed by the Constitutional Court in May 2026, but this will not delay the overall implementation timeline.