South Africa Eldorado Park Residents Demand Permanent Solutions Amid Army Deployment

Dimakatso Leshoro

16 February 2026 | 8:59

The residents, who spoke to Eyewitness News on condition of anonymity, said the police are overwhelmed and cannot tackle gang violence in the area.

Eldorado Park

South African National Defence Force (SANDF)

Gang violence

Eldorado Park residents demand permanent solutions amid army deployment

South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Picture: SA National Defence Force/ Facebook.

Residents of Eldorado Park in Johannesburg say longer-lasting solutions are urgently needed to tackle the gang violence that continues to plague the community.

This follows the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) will be deployed to crime-ridden areas in Gauteng and the Western Cape.

The residents, who spoke to Eyewitness News on condition of anonymity, said the police are overwhelmed and cannot tackle gang violence in the area.

"I think it will make a difference, but the army won't be here permanently. They will be situated here temporarily until things cool down, and immediately when they leave, things will continue," one resident said. "So I agree with what she is saying: we need police. We don’t even see vans roaming the streets. Where are they? We only see one or two vans after two weeks, or when there's a hijacking."

While some residents have welcomed the deployment of the army, hoping it will help restore order, others have raised concerns about whether soldiers are adequately equipped to manage civilian law enforcement situations.

"The way they deal with people, I don’t think they are trained to deal with people. They are trained for over-the-border army purposes, you understand? We are civilians; they won’t understand us," another resident noted. "Look at what happened during COVID; they came into people's yards, and they killed people. I don’t think so."