SANDF ‘Operation Prosper’ deployment to cost over R800 mn – presidency
Following questions about the legality of the deployment, the Presidency has confirmed that the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces have been duly informed in line with the Constitution.
The presidency says the deployment of more than 2, 000 members of the National Defence Force to the country's crime hotspots will cost more than R800 million.
Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the deployment of the army to bolster the police's efforts to combat gang-violence and illegal mining in five provinces during his State of the Nation Address.
READ: SANDF deployment to combat gang violence, illegal mining to begin in 10 days
“Section 201(2) (a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, directs that ‘Only the President, as head of the national executive, may authorise the employment of the defence force in co-operation with the police service’. Expenditure for this employment is estimated at R823,153,960.00,” said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.
The operation, dubbed ‘Operation Prosper’, kicked off at the beginning of this month and is expected to run until March 2027.
“President Ramaphosa calls on communities to welcome and work more closely with the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force to identify and alienate criminal elements and make neighbourhoods safer in the process,” Magwenya added.
The affected provinces are: Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Free State, Western Cape, and the North West.
The soldiers have already been seen in communities in the west of Johannesburg, where residents have lamented the impact of gang violence and illegal mining on their safety.
ALSO READ
