Ramaphosa says SANDF’s Operation Prosper is showing results amid criticism

President defends SANDF deployment, says early signs point to reduced crime in operational areas

President Cyril Ramaphosa told MPs on Thursday that the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to support the police under Operation Prosper was the right decision and that positive results are beginning to emerge.

Where troops are deployed and what the president said

Speaking during a question-and-answer session in the National Assembly, Ramaphosa said troops have been deployed to the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, North West, Gauteng and the Free State. He told MPs it was still early to draw definitive conclusions but that indications suggest a reduction in selected crime categories within the operational areas.

Ramaphosa was responding to DA chief whip George Michalakis, who asked whether the roll-out of Operation Prosper had met its objectives.

Arrests, actions and seizures

The president gave figures for arrests and operational activity announced during his State of the Nation Address two months ago. He said more than 1,000 arrests have been effected, including 550 in the Western Cape and 238 in the Eastern Cape. Ramaphosa said operations have focussed on dismantling drug networks and illegal mining syndicates and included arrests linked to serious violent crimes.

Operational intensity has, he said, been sustained through over 38,000 coordinated actions such as roadblocks and tracing operations. Those actions, Ramaphosa added, resulted in the seizure of 18 firearms, 792 rounds of ammunition and 186 explosives.

Calls for broader response beyond deployments

While describing the deployments as producing tangible progress in reclaiming territory and stabilising communities, Ramaphosa warned that military support alone would not solve crime.

“There is much that Operation Prosper can achieve and is currently achieving, but it also needs to be reinforced and be supported by an integrated crime prevention strategy to be undertaken by all parts of the state and all sectors of society.”

He said the effort must be government-wide and society-wide to address the social and economic causes of crime.

Opposition raises costs and rising violence in some areas

Michalakis challenged the president with statistics he said showed worsening conditions on the Cape Flats since soldiers were deployed. He noted the cost of Operation Prosper was R823 million and pressed Ramaphosa on whether the operation could be presented to grieving families as successful.

“Can you look the mothers who lost children killed on the Cape Flats, Westbury and other places since the start of Operation Prosper, in the eye and say to them that it is working?”

Ramaphosa said he would offer his condolences and sympathies to those mothers and tell them the government was doing more to bring down gang violence. He called for unity rather than politicisation and urged support for the police and the SANDF to succeed.

“Of course, we can politicise this matter as much as we like. The fact of the matter is that when lives are lost, we should all be saying we want the police and the SANDF to succeed.”

Logistics, costs and policing powers

The president noted practical costs associated with deploying soldiers and police that they work beyond normal hours, must be accommodated away from families and require transport. He said this contributes to the expense of putting more security officials on the ground.

On proposals to devolve policing functions, Ramaphosa said the police are constitutionally empowered to fight crime and that what is needed is to strengthen their capacity at national, provincial and local levels. He rejected the idea that police in particular areas lack the power to act.

“Every police official has the power to ensure that we fight criminality.”

Ramaphosa also said the government is scaling up intelligence services to support efforts to reduce gang violence.

What happens next

The president said Operation Prosper is producing early indications of progress but reiterated that its long-term success will depend on a coordinated strategy across government and society, strengthened policing capacity and sustained operational effort.