Army on our streets, but the bloodshed continues

The horror that unfolded in KwaDwesi on Saturday night is almost too painful to comprehend.

Three people died at the scene and a fourth died on arrival at the hospital. Two others were critically wounded and are fighting for their lives in the hospital.

They have been identified as Bongani Mqalo, 42, Nandipha Bhutana, 41, Ntombizakhe Mnqanqeni, 36, and Sanelisiwe Mfecane, 24.

Less than two weeks ago Nelson Mandela Bay was reeling from the murder of five teenagers in Motherwell. In March two young men were gunned down in a KwaDwesi home.

The details of these attacks reveal a level of horrific cruelty.

All this, while the army arrived earlier this year.

The deployment was presented as part of a broader effort to restore communities, target organised crime, remove illegal firearms and support police operations in crime hotspots.

Eastern Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Vuyisile Ncata described the deployment as an effort to take back our communities.

“We are dealing with ruthless individuals who showed no regard for human life,” Ncata said.

“Our teams are working tirelessly to bring the perpetrators to book.”

The question now is whether residents are seeing the benefits of that intervention beyond military vehicles and high-visibility patrols.

Transport and community safety MEC Xolile Nqatha expressed deep concern over the resurgence in mass shootings and criminal activities in the Nelson Mandela Bay area.

Nqatha condemned the latest incident as barbaric and inhumane.

But soldiers on the streets were never going to be a silver bullet.

Even those who supported the deployment acknowledged that troops alone cannot solve the deep-rooted social and policing challenges that fuel violent crime.

Their presence may provide reassurance and assist police operations, but military patrols alone cannot investigate murders, build prosecutable cases, or dismantle sophisticated criminal networks.