Residents pin hopes on SANDF to restore safety in Rietvallei

Residents of Rietvallei, west of Johannesburg have expressed optimism that the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members to their area will assist police to combat rising crimes, including gangsterism and illegal mining. President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of 2 200 SANDF members to crime hotspots in five provinces including Gauteng to support the police.

Soldiers have arrived in Riverlea in Johannesburg this morning.
This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during his State of the Nation Address last month, that the military will be deployed in areas riddled by gang violence and illegal mining activities, to support… pic.twitter.com/lMurE16s1F
— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 11, 2026

The deployment is scheduled to run from the first of this month to March the 31st, 2027 and Rietvallei residents have welcomed the deployment.
“We feel much safer now that the soldiers are here, because the zama zamas from Lesotho used to terrorise us daily. Those ones are very violent unlike the ones from other countries. Everyday it’s gun shots after gun shots. When you wake up in the morning you would find dead bodies. Taverns in the area are the most dangerous places.”
RELATED VIDEO : Residents react to boots on the ground:

www.sabcnews.com, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/residents-pin-hopes-on-sandf-to-restore-safety-in-rietvallei/