South Africa will deploy soldiers for a year to provinces struggling with rampant crime and illegal mining, according to a mission plan presented to parliament today (4 March).

Troops are due to move into affected provinces this month, with the mission scheduled to run until 31 March next year. The operation will cover five of the country’s nine provinces, including the Western Cape, home to tourist hub Cape Town.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment last month during his State of the Nation Address, calling organised crime the “most immediate threat” to South Africa’s democracy and economic development.

However, no boots were on the ground yet, with mission-readiness training and the establishment of a joint command structure still to take place before deployment begins.

“It does take time. It’s not something that happens immediately or overnight,” Major General Mark Hankel said.

The plan has drawn criticism from experts and opposition politicians, who say troops lack policing skills and warn the costly move admits police have failed to curb violent crime.

Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia defended the mission, saying it would create space for the rollout of a broader organised crime strategy.

“The deployment of the South African National Defence Force is not being presented as a panacea (quick-fix), as a magic bullet,” he told lawmakers.

“One way to think about this is that this country is in its FBI moment. We need a new approach”

Excluding countries at war, South Africa has one of the world’s highest homicide rates, with an average of 60 killings reported each day.

The violence is compounded by the presence of thousands of illegal miners who search for leftover gold ore, often under the control of gangs battling for access to abandoned shafts across several provinces, including Gauteng, home to the financial capital Johannesburg.

South Africa has repeatedly turned to the army in times of crisis. Troops enforced strict Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and were deployed during deadly riots sparked by the jailing of former president Jacob Zuma in 2021.

Soldiers were also sent into the streets in 2023 after a wave of truck burnings raised fears of wider unrest.

In 2019, around 1 300 soldiers were deployed to back up police in the gang-afflicted Cape Flats areas surrounding Cape Town.

ALSO READ: Western Cape welcomes troop deployment but calls for long-term policing reforms