South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorized the deployment of 10,000 soldiers to help secure local elections next Monday. Parliament announced this on Wednesday.
“The military will assist the police in ensuring a safe environment for the elections,” the National Assembly said in a statement. The troops will be deployed for five days from Friday.
In July, deadly violence and large-scale looting rocked the country in the wake of former President Jacob Zuma’s incarceration. The violence already led to the deployment of 25,000 soldiers to help the overwhelmed police force.
Election days in South Africa are normally peaceful, but last summer’s violence has charted many residents’ difficult social, economic, and economic conditions.
The African National Congress, in power since the end of Apartheid in 1994, is struggling to regain its popularity after numerous corruption scandals and poor economic indicators.
