According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, areas affected by gang violence in the Western Cape and illegal mining in Gauteng can anticipate the presence of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in the coming days. In order to combat gang violence and illegal mining, "I have directed the Minister of Police and the SANDF to develop a technical plan on where our security forces should be deployed within the next few days, in the Western Cape and in Gauteng."

He made the announcement when delivering his State of the Nation Address Thursday night, saying Parliament will be informed about the deployment and related costs. “We have to act to rid our country of gang violence,” said Ramaphosa. He said the government’s primary focus this year was on stepping up the fight against organised crime and corruption. "We will accomplish this through integrated law enforcement, intelligence, and technology. He stated, "We will combat organized crime by consolidating national intelligence, identifying priority syndicates, and deploying hand-selected multidisciplinary intervention teams focused on dismantling criminal networks."

His announcement about the SANDF deployment came just hours after Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia told the media earlier in the day that he might deploy the SANDF. He was talking about how he planned to stop gang violence on the Cape Flats. The City stated that its safety technology and its police will be available to assist the SAPS and the SANDF. “However, Mr. President, we welcome the army, but it is only temporary. We urge you to also take immediate action on real solutions to the rise in gang crime convictions by giving City Police more authority. Our well-trained officers are immediately prepared to create case dockets that are ready for prosecution in order to increase gang crime convictions.

We’ve sent you the regulations, you have the power to make the reforms, and we urge you to act now,” said Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis. He stated that the City will now demand the president's urgent commitment to expanding metropolicing powers. Ramaphosa also told the joint sitting that the government was implementing an integrated strategy to address the root causes of crime through coordinated interventions across society. “We are going to combat gun crimes by streamlining licensing, possession, and trade laws for firearms and ammunition. We will increase enforcement of existing gun laws.” In addition to the 20,000 additional officers announced in previous SONAs, he promised to recruit 5,500 additional officers.

He went on to say that they were addressing the threat that illegal and counterfeit goods posed to South African industry and jobs. “We are establishing a National Illicit Economy Disruption Program that brings together key state agencies and other stakeholders, including the private sector, through the effective use of data analytics and artificial intelligence. "We will be focusing on high-risk sectors like alcohol, tobacco, fuel, and counterfeit goods." According to Ramaphosa, the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and the Ad Hoc Committee in Parliament have revealed widespread corruption in the SAPS and Metro police departments. “We can’t tolerate this,” he said, adding that the investigations on matters arising from the Madlanga Commission will be conducted swiftly by the newly-appointed task team.

The State Security Agency will re-vet the top brass of SAPS and Metro police officers. He stated, "We will use the Madlanga Commission's recommendations to make far-reaching changes." Ramaphosa said they were determined that the commission's findings and recommendations will lay the basis for a fundamental reform of the criminal justice system.

"The vast majority of police officers are dedicated to upholding the law and diligently serving the people of South Africa, so we are confident that these efforts will succeed,"