The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the SAPS are deploying forces not for a “skop, skit en donder” approach, but to defend citizens and combat crime.
SANDF chief General Rudzani Maphwanya allayed fears among some communities that they might face violence from soldiers.
He was addressing a joint media briefing at the Natjoint Operation Centre in Pretoria on Sunday with SAPS Commissioner General Fannie Masemola.
The Deployment
President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of 2,200 SANDF members to support SAPS in five provinces until March 2027 under Operation Prosper.
The operation targets illegal mining and gang-related violence in:
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Free State
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North West
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Gauteng
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Western Cape
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Eastern Cape
Cost: over R823 million.
Addressing Fears
Addressing the “skop, skit en donder” claims, Maphwanya said: “We are not going there to harass our people. Only criminal elements will feel harassed.”
He also addressed concerns about alignment between SANDF and SAPS mandates.
SANDF training includes models for cooperation with police. Joint mission readiness training harmonises their way of doing things.
“Operational procedures will ensure that we continue to work together but at the same time, we will continue to allow the police to align with broader crime justice processes.”
The Division of Labour
The collection of evidence and management of crime scenes will remain the sole responsibility of the police.
“We will allow the police to continue policing. While you threaten the police while they are busy with their work we will ensure that we stabilise that environment and allow the police to do their work.”
The forces will create conditions making it impossible for criminals to continue operating with impunity.
Police Cooperation
Masemola said he could not disclose exactly where forces will be deployedsuch details will remain with tactical commanders.
Asked about claims that some police officers were not cooperating with soldiers, Masemola said: “The report we are getting from commanders is that they are working seamlessly together. If there are those elements that are not cooperating we will deal with them in terms of the disciplinary steps.”
The Broader Team
The operation includes other stakeholders:
The Objectives
“The objectives of this joint deployment are clear: to stabilise priority crime hotspots, dismantle organised criminal syndicates, restore law and order, and reclaim communities from criminal networks,” Masemola said.
Eldorado Park
Regarding the recent shooting in Eldorado Park: “Yes, there was a shooting in Eldorado Park. Our deployment will be reinforced and we will continue doing our work.”
Night Operations
“We will deal with those criminal elements. If they are effective at night we will also be effective at night,” Maphwanya said.
The Bottom Line
Two thousand two hundred soldiers. Five provinces. Twenty-one months. Over R800 million.
The message from the top: this is not a heavy-handed crackdown on communities. It’s a targeted operation against criminals.
“We are not going there to harass our people. Only criminal elements will feel harassed.”
