WATCH | Army to stay in Western Cape for another six months - but some residents are not convinced
The video could not be loaded.
The defence force will stay in crime-hit parts of Cape Town for another six months.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the employment of the SANDF until March 31 next year. The extension came into effect on Monday, the day the initial deployment was set to end.
"Members of the regular and reserve forces of the SANDF will undertake operations in co-operation with the police, and will support the prevention and combating of crime and maintenance and preservation of law and order in the Western Cape," said Ramaphosa.
Ramaphosa has informed the speakers of both houses of parliament of the decision, his spokesperson Khusela Diko said.
"The president commends all the law enforcement agencies for the work done thus far and further extends his appreciation to the affected communities for supporting the work of the various security and law enforcement agencies in stamping out criminality and bringing about stability in the affected areas of the province," she said.
However, some residents in Delft are not convinced. They feel the army's presence has not had the desired impact.
"It got worse during the time [the SANDF] were here. I'm not happy about them," said Delft resident Johanna Moses.
Delft was ranked second in SA for the most murders reported, according to the latest crime stats released last week.
"Nobody gets caught. The criminals are still free," says another resident, Linton Dean. "They made the situation worse because since they've been here more people have died."
Alfajhan Lamour Phooko, the editor of the Delft Community News Network, says people in the area feel that the army has brought chaos with it.
"We look ungovernable to the rest of the world and we have a spike in crime against women and children, we have a spike in crime on policemen, while the army is in the Western Cape," he said.
"People are asking if the army is working. We can see the results: it's not working."