The year-long Operation Prosper deployment made public by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his 12 February State of the Nation Address (SONA) now stretches across five of South Africa’s nine provinces.
He told South Africans soldiers would support police in curbing gang violence and illegal mining in the Gauteng and Western Cape provinces when addressing a joint National Assembly (NA)/National Council of Provinces (NCOP) sitting in the Cape Town City Hall last month. Days later the Eastern Cape province was added and yesterday (Thursday 12 March) the Joint Operations Division of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF), in a statement dated 11 February, has the North West and Free State provinces on the deployment list.
Identifying the “criminal threats” of gang violence and illegal mining, soldiers and police will confront head-on in the coming months is in line with what the SANDF Commander-in-Chief said in the Cape Town City Hall. The Joint Operations statement provincial tasking breakdown has Gauteng down for “illicit mining activities” with the Western Cape focus gangsterism and violent crime. The post-SONA provincial addition sees police and soldiers in Premier Oscar Mabuyane’s Eastern Cape detailed to contain gang violence and the Joint Operations additions of the Free State and North West provinces focussing on illegal mining operations and activities, as per the Joint Operations statement.
“This deployment forms part of a co-ordinated Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster (JCPS) intervention aimed at stabilising affected communities and disrupting criminal syndicates operating in key hotspot areas,” the statement reads. It was jointly signed off by Major General Godfrey Thulare (General Officer Commanding, Joint Operational Headquarters) and Lieutenant Colonel Mpho Mathebula (Acting Senior Staff Officer Operational Communication, Joint Operations Division).
The deployment, as well as previous utilisation of military manpower to support crime combatting, is provided for in the Constitution [Section 201(2)(a)] authorising Presidential “employment” of the SANDF in co-operation with the SA Police Service (SAPS) to “prevent and combat crime”. The operational framework for a joint deployment such as the current one is detailed in the 2002 Defence Act regulating the use of military personnel for internal operations. It further sets out SANDF/SAPS command and control arrangements while active under NATJOINTS (National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure).
Ramaphosa used his NA question time on Thursday 12 March to elaborate on the deployment.
Answering Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) Member of Parliament (MO), Nhlanhla Hadebe, he indicated soldiers would be a force multiplier operating under police command, with clear rules of engagement and for specific time-limited objectives. As examples he gave protection in high risk operations, supporting cordon and search operations and securing critical infrastructure.
Reporting on the Presidential question and answer session, Daily Maverick quotes Ramaphosa as saying: “In the past, when there were soldiers deployed, it would drive a lot of fear in the hearts of our people because … soldiers are trained just to shoot and kill”.
“This time around, we have developed our defence force capabilities so well that they build bridges, they save people who are in danger. They also help with supporting the police. So we have now a defence force, much as many people may be critical of them, a defence force that is well attuned to serving the people of South Africa, and they’re already doing a fantastic job.”
After Wednesday’s first public foray of 550 soldiers supported by two dozen military vehicles in the Johannesburg suburbs of Eldorado Park, Riverlea, Sophiatown and Westbury, soldiers and police split up yesterday going to Gauteng’s East Rand (Benoni) and West Rand (Randfontein).
On the Wednesday operations, Captain Phumela Veldtman and Staff Sergeant Mabasa of the SANDF and SAPS Anti-Gang Unit report two arrests for drug possession (cocaine and crystal methamphetamine) and just short of R16 000 in cash. They note further soldiers were “warmly received” by suburb residents.
Parliament formally notified of deployment
Questions have been raised in some quarters about whether Parliament had been informed correctly about the SANDF’s deployment.
Ramaphosa formally notified Parliament through a letter dated 5 March 2026, which was addressed to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza. The letter was subsequently tabled in Parliament’s Announcements, Tablings and Committee Reports (ATC) on 9 March 2026.
In the correspondence, President Ramaphosa confirmed that the deployment had been authorised in terms of Section 201(2)(a) of the Constitution, which allows the Defence Force to be employed in cooperation with the SAPS to maintain law and order.
As defence analyst Dean Wingrin points out, no prior parliamentary approval is required for Ramaphosa to deploy the SANDF, as the President can decide when to deploy SANDF troops at his own discretion. Parliament can challenge or debate the decision, but its approval is not a prerequisite.
SANDF contributes to Limpopo bust
While focus is on the SANDF deployment in Gauteng, soldiers in Limpopo worked with colleagues from the SAPS, South African Revenue Services (SARS), South African Police Services National Counterfeit and Illicit Trade Unit, and South African Police Services Public Order Policing to recover R49 million worth of illicit and counterfit goods in the Musina Business District.
The SANDF reported that soldiers from 1 South African Tank Regiment, tasked with border protection duties under Operation Corona, were involved in the massive bust during a joint operation in Musina.
