Gqeberha, Eastern Cape — Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) arrived in Gqeberha on Friday to assist police in tackling crime in the province’s hotspots, but the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape has voiced strong disappointment over what it describes as poor planning and execution of the operation.
DA Eastern Cape chairperson and Member of the Provincial Legislature Yusuf Cassim expressed concern that communities feel anxious rather than reassured by the deployment, citing a lack of proper preparation and engagement with local stakeholders.
“Many people feel anxious and have a lot of questions because there has been a lack of engagement preparing communities for this deployment,” Cassim said. He highlighted that the manner in which the operation is unfolding has created unnecessary risks for residents.
According to Cassim, one major issue has been the recruitment of individuals as informants by the military without adequate consultation or protection. In one case he described, soldiers approached a woman known to him at her home in broad daylight, using his name to gain her trust without prior notice or explanation to her or to him, despite his role in tabling a petition on the matter.
“This has sent a wave of anxiety within the community because people are afraid they will face repercussions from the criminal networks and gangsters,” he explained. “These criminal networks have eyes and ears within the community, so people do fear reprisal.”
Cassim stressed that while the operation is intended to be intelligence-driven — as confirmed by the chairperson of the portfolio committee on defence in Parliament — it has been handled poorly. “It cannot be amateur hour. You have to plan, you have to consult, you have to collaborate with the people whose support you need,” he said, warning that the current approach puts lives at risk and could undermine the deployment’s objectives.
He pointed out that the only notable engagement was a meeting between the military and the South African Police Service (SAPS) held on Thursday, just before the troops arrived. No prior consultations took place with community policing structures, elected representatives, ward councillors, or community leaders in affected areas such as the Northern Areas, including Helenvale, Missionvale, Arcadia, Bethelsdorp, and Gelvandale.
Cassim noted that the DA had actively campaigned for the deployment. On 16 February, the party led a community march after the Eastern Cape was initially excluded from the SANDF rollout announced for other provinces. Residents in the gang-plagued Northern Areas of Gqeberha had demanded inclusion amid ongoing violence.
“We welcome the deployment, but it must be done in a manner that will be effective,” Cassim said. “You cannot just do it because you are ticking a box because there was pressure… after the community came out with the Democratic Alliance in numbers to demand that we’re included.”
He argued that the Eastern Cape was treated as an afterthought, with basic questions about the deployment’s details, locations, operational parameters, and command structure left unanswered by the MEC for Community Safety and the Premier when raised in the provincial legislature about a month ago.
On leadership of the operation, Cassim agreed that SAPS should take the lead, given their training in community policing, rather than the military. However, he said preparations suggest SAPS has not been granted sufficient operational control. The meeting with SAPS occurred only yesterday, despite the announcement in mid-February and a deadline for boots on the ground by the end of March or 1 April.
Cassim praised the newly appointed provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Fuata, describing him as responsive to communities, but said responsibility for any shortcomings lies with those overseeing the broader deployment planning, not SAPS or the new commissioner.
The Eastern Cape continues to grapple with severe violent crime. The province has long recorded the country’s highest rates of murder and sexual assault, earning it the label of the “murder and rape capital.” Residents in parts of Gqeberha face running gun battles and entrenched gang violence that has controlled territories for years.
Cassim emphasised that the DA does not oppose the deployment — which is planned to last a year — but wants it to succeed. “We are in a war zone,” he said. “All of us want this to be successful. We called for this deployment. We marched in the streets… because we are trying to raise the pertinent questions.”
He announced plans to table another member statement in the legislature on Tuesday to continue pressing for better collaboration with community structures, patrollers, and local leaders to ensure the intelligence-driven operation has genuine community partnership.
Cassim concluded that the mistakes made so far should be corrected quickly to deliver tangible benefits against the complex challenge of organised criminal networks.