Our Defence Force is working to keep South Africans safe and secure 

Fellow South African,

On Saturday, we held Armed Forces Day in Thohoyandou in Limpopo, an annual event that honours the men and women of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the important role they play in our country and on our continent.

We do so with a keen remembrance of the transformative journey that our national defence force has travelled from being a tool of oppression, division and continental discord under apartheid to becoming a guardian of our democratic order.

With more than 69,000 active personnel, a substantial reserve force and more young people being brought into the ranks through the Military Skills Development System, the SANDF’s efforts to remain a professional, adaptable and resilient force continue.

In an era defined by increased geopolitical tensions, our armed forces are called upon to safeguard our sovereignty and to promote peace and stability beyond our borders. They also have an important role inside the country.

In the State of the Nation Address on 12 February 2026, I announced that we would be deploying the SANDF to support the South African Police Service (SAPS) in tackling gang violence and illegal mining in the Western Cape, Gauteng and Eastern Cape.

Given our history, where the apartheid state sent the army into townships to violently suppress opposition, it is important that we do not deploy the SANDF inside the country to deal with domestic threats without good reason. This recent deployment has become necessary due to a surge in violent organised crime that threatens the safety of our people and the authority of the state.

That is why the SANDF will be deployed in support of the SAPS, operating under police command, with clear rules of engagement and for specific time-limited objectives.

The SANDF may, for example, be called on by the police to provide protection in high-risk operations, or to support cordon-and-search operations against armed criminals. Soldiers may also help to secure critical infrastructure, freeing SAPS members to focus on investigations, arrests and building cases that lead to successful prosecutions.

The deployment of the SANDF will take place alongside other measures, such as strengthening anti-gang units and illegal mining task teams. The police will also be working with the National Prosecuting Authority on multi-disciplinary task teams to target the leadership, finances, firearms and logistics of these criminal networks.

This is not the first time that the SANDF has been deployed inside the country. It has taken on critical roles not only in maintaining security, but also in responding to disasters and supporting development.

During the recent floods in parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, the SANDF supported relief efforts and assisted with evacuations, repairing damaged infrastructure and erecting temporary structures.

Through Project Owethu, which was launched in Limpopo to coincide with Armed Forces Day, the SANDF provided healthcare services to more than 50,000 people in underserved communities.

Over the last few years, the SANDF has helped improve the lives of rural communities through the Welisizwe Rural Bridges programme. It has conducted law-enforcement operations at our borders to curb people smuggling, illicit activity and illegal crossings.

The unprecedented mobilisation of the SANDF during the COVID-19 pandemic enabled us to enforce disaster regulations, safeguard our borders, support anti-crime efforts with the SAPS and set up field hospitals to tend to the sick.

Like many other areas of the state, the SANDF has for several years been operating under significant financial constraints due to the poor state of our public finances. As our financial position stabilises, we are working to close funding gaps and strengthen the readiness of our armed forces.

We are also strengthening the complement of younger people in the SANDF. Applications recently opened for the 2027 Military Skills Development System, which offers young people the opportunity to gain skills and training in the army, air force, navy and military health service.

When the SANDF was formed in 1994 it marked a decisive break from the use of the defence force to perpetuate apartheid oppression. Today our armed forces are loyal to our democratic Constitution, are subject to civilian oversight and reflect the diversity of our nation. They operate in strict adherence with international humanitarian law.

As we work together to overcome the challenges facing our armed forces, let us not lose sight of their immense contribution to building a democratic nation in which all our people are safe and secure.