Solutions need cooperation, not just spectacle of soldiers on our street

For years, communities besieged by gang violence in South Africa have urgently requested effective action, feeling the South African Police Service was ill-equipped. As shootings became commonplace and gangs claimed lives, demands for military deployment intensified. The army was perceived as a crucial reinforcement to regain neighborhoods believed to have fallen to criminals.

With soldiers now present, however, we are encountering repeated instances of interference from the very communities they were meant to protect. This situation creates a perplexing dilemma: we desire intervention, yet are hesitant to accept its potential manifestations. The altercation in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, is alarming, and any soldier involved in assaulting a civilian must be held accountable.

Yet, we cannot allow one incident to overshadow the broader issue confronting communities that have long pleaded for military assistance. For years, residents urged the government to send the army as gangsterism had overwhelmed conventional policing. Now that soldiers are there, some of the same communities are reluctant to embrace the disruption, confrontation, and authority that come with such an intervention.

If we genuinely wish to remove criminals from our streets, are we ready to tolerate the lawful enforcement necessary for this goal? Or did we merely seek the spectacle of soldiers without the uncomfortable task of truly reclaiming our neighborhoods? We know that those committing crimes held captive by entire communities belong to someone.

They are someone's children, husbands, or fathers, with families, friends, and connections in these communities. Although we may not always agree with those enforcing the law, it is reasonable to respect the rank and authority of those dispatched to restore order. This entails acknowledging that when law enforcement arrives, cooperation is essential.

Soldier's conduct must be scrutinized, and where wrongdoing occurs, accountability must follow. However, we cannot overlook the interference with their duty execution. We cannot demand soldiers, police, and government reclaim communities from criminals while challenging their authority when they do so. Solutions necessitate order, cooperation, and accountability—not superficial measures to make us feel secure.