Army ordered to Cape ganglands

(File photo) Photo: Matthews Baloyi

(File photo) Photo: Matthews Baloyi

Published Aug 1, 2012

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The army will be deployed across Cape Town’s violent ganglands, in response to Premier Helen Zille’s plea to President Jacob Zuma.

This is reported by The Herald newspaper in PE on Wednesday, after the army’s deployment surprisingly also included the Eastern Cape’s capital city.

Zille, after writing to Zuma twice, reported that he asked his ministers of Defence and Military Veterans, and Police, to provide him with an “assessment report” on the situation.

 Zille had told Zuma the situation had “reached crisis levels… we cannot afford undue delays if we are to prevent the further loss of innocent lives”.

The Herald reported it had seen a national order sent to the Eastern and Western Cape police commissioners by National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure chairman Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela - instructing them to form “Provincial Priority Committees” to clamp down on gang warfare and drug hotspots.

The Cape Argus was told a fortnight ago that the two national ministers had met on the matter, and The Herald reports the result was a document on combating gangsterism.

The document reportedly lists several operational focuses - “stability operations including roadblocks and vehicle checkpoints, enhanced crime prevention, and airborne support, logistical support and accommodation for police”.

It adds: “(The) SANDF will only physically be involved during intelligence-driven operations with regards to cordon and search.”

The order also directs the National Prosecuting Authority to implement measures to “speedily and effectively finalise specific arrests and incidents”. Police refused to comment on Wednesday. - Cape Argus

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