Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has requested the support of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to help combat crime in the Western Cape and Gauteng‚ the police ministry announced on Monday evening.

“Minister Mbalula notes that in recent past South Africa has been engulfed by an insurgence of extremely violent crime that has made communities feel and be unsafe‚” the ministry said.

It added that levels of violence in recent months involved the use of weapons of war in the commission of serious crimes where even innocent bystanders and children had fallen victim of gang-related violent crimes.

“When I visited the community of Elsies River‚ one community leader referred to the terror caused by gangs as an act of terrorism‚ I want to tell the people of Elsies River that I heard you‚ and I am acting‚” Mbalula said.

The most recent incidents of increased violence and shooting incidents and the increase in gangsterism activities in the Western Cape and Gauteng were becoming a matter of huge concern‚ the ministry said.

It said the incidents in the Western Cape and Gauteng Provinces were severely impacting on the following areas:

Crime activities

The following crimes‚ included but not limited to‚ are being committed:

- Murder and attempted murder

- Robbery and robbery aggravating

- Assault common and Assault GBH

- Truck and car theft and high-jacking

- Rape

- Trespassing

- Child abuse and neglect

- Abuse of controlled chemicals

- Drug related crimes

“Violent incidents and gangsterism activities is severely impacting on an increase of deaths of innocent bystanders as well as impacting on criminal activities‚ the social environment and the safety and security of communities.

“Our children have a right to grow in a peaceful environment‚ and as Police‚ we have a duty to protect that right.” Minister Mbalula added.

The ministry stated that Gauteng as a whole and the Western Cape‚ specifically Cape Town‚ had been identified as hotspots for crime.

“It has been decided that an urgent additional steps must be taken in order to interdepartmentally manage the current scourge of crime in general‚ drug related offences and the negative impact this has on the community of the Gauteng and Western Cape Provinces.

“Stabilisation and combating of the these criminal activities are within the mandate of the South African Police Service but due to the large groupings and military training of some of the perpetrators‚ the South African Defence Force (SANDF) is requested to assist‚ in the mentioned Provinces.”

Mbalula added: “We will never fail our people‚ we will squeeze the space for criminals‚ and we will liberate our people from prisons of fear.”