A recent South African National Defence Force deployment to the Cape Flats is being seen as a turning point by some residents in Cape Town’s gang-stricken communities.

The Steenberg Community Policing Forum (CPF) says the operation has helped bring a period of calm to the greater Muizenberg area, where gang-related gun violence has gripped several neighbourhoods in recent months.

Communities such as Lavender Hill, Overcome Heights, Vrygrond and Seawinds have all been affected by ongoing shootings and violent crime, according to EWN.

SANDF joins the fight against violent crime

Around 200 soldiers have been deployed to the Western Cape, specifically to the Cape Flats, to support police in tackling gang violence, extortion and other serious crimes.

The deployment forms part of Operation Prosper, which began at the start of April. Since then, law enforcement teams have carried out a series of raids and arrests across the metro, EWN reported.

The operation comes as pressure grows on authorities to respond more decisively to persistent violence in some of the province’s most vulnerable communities.

CPF calls the operation a success

Steenberg CPF chairperson Nicola Small said the SANDF presence has made a visible difference on the ground.

She told EWN that raids and search operations conducted last week helped stabilise the area. “We didn’t have any murders or attempted murders reported during this time. So, by all means, it seems to have been a successful operation having them here,” Small said.

Her comments reflect growing support for stronger security interventions in areas where residents have lived under the threat of gang violence for years.

Residents urged to help police

Small also said the military deployment has highlighted the need for more boots on the ground to deal with gun violence effectively.

At the same time, she appealed to residents to work with the police. But she acknowledged the fear many people face when it comes to reporting criminals.

“Often the perpetrators live among them; they are family members, relatives, or friends,” Small told EWN. She said residents are often too scared to speak out because they fear intimidation, retaliation and being targeted themselves.

For communities desperate for relief, the recent calm has offered a glimpse of what stronger enforcement could achieve.