President Cyril Ramaphosa says the deployment of the South African National Defence Force to gang violence hotspots is being considered, but warned that such a move must be approached with caution because soldiers are trained to shoot to kill and not to carry out policing duties.
Speaking outside the ANC National Executive Committee Lekgotla, Ramaphosa said the army does not investigate crimes like the police and views suspects as enemies, which raises serious concerns in civilian settings.
He stressed that any deployment would need to be carefully balanced, with the army playing a supportive role alongside the police rather than replacing them.
