JOHANNESBURG, March 13 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorized the deployment of 2,200 soldiers to assist the police in combating illegal mining and gangsterism, the Presidency announced on Friday.
The Presidency confirmed in a statement that the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) members will be stationed across the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, North West and Western Cape provinces.
The deployment is effective from March 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027, with an estimated cost of about 823 million rand (about 48.79 million U.S. dollars).
"President Ramaphosa calls on communities to welcome and work more closely with the South African Police Service and the SANDF to identify and isolate criminal elements, making neighborhoods safer in the process," the Presidency stated.
The move followed a commitment made by Ramaphosa during his recent State of the Nation Address, where he promised military intervention to tackle the country's high crime rate.
Some units begun operations earlier this week to disrupt criminal networks.
South Africa continues to grapple with an upsurge in illegal mining, a crisis that fuels violent crime and deprives the national economy of billions in potential revenue. ■