South Africa deploys military to contain insecurity in Cape Town

South African soldiers moved into Cape Town townships on Wednesday after two people were killed, nearly 50 days after the president ordered the deployment.

Troops in full combat gear and carrying assault rifles stepped from armoured vehicles that arrived with sirens blaring in Mitchells Plain, a neighbourhood in the Cape Flats.

Two men, aged 25 and 33, were shot and killed in a 5 am attack in the neighbouring sprawling area of Hanover Park.

Earlier, around 2:45 am, a 27-year-old man was wounded in a separate shooting in Mitchells Plain.

'Operation Prosper'

The deployment of soldiers was a welcome relief, with the troop's "presence alone" forcing gang members to stand back, residents said.

The Cape Flats saw one of its deadliest weeks last August when police recorded 59 murders in seven days.

The insecurity prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa in February to announce the deployment to boost the country's police force, saying crime was one of the biggest threats facing South Africa.

Codenamed "Operation Prosper," the deployment will last a year and cover five of the nine provinces, including Gauteng, home to the financial capital Johannesburg, according to a plan presented to parliament.

At least 2,200 soldiers to be deployed

It mobilises more than 2,200 soldiers to support police in tackling the surge in crime and illegal mining.

South Africa has repeatedly turned to the army in times of crisis.  In 2023, they were deployed 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-affected Cape Flats areas surrounding Cape Town.