Anticipated national deployment of SANDF set for April

The much-anticipated deployment of the army to crime hotspots across the country has finally arrived and will begin on Wednesday.

During his State of the Nation Address in February, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the deployment of 2,200 South African soldiers to assist police in combating illegal mining, organised crime, and gang violence.

The deployment, under Operation Prosper, will run until the end of March next year in the Western Cape, Gauteng, Free State, North-West and the Eastern Cape.

Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the South African Police Service (SAPS) have been given their marching orders to dismantle illegal mining operations and organised crime networks, following a joint parade in Cape Town on Tuesday.

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The Deputy National Police Commissioner for Policing, Tebello Mosikili, who is responsible for directing the integration of police and army officers, said the deployment is aimed at neutralising high-risk gang areas.

"This is not a ceremonial exercise; it is us ascending to the directive and the instruction to step up and ensure that people of South Africa shall and will be safe."

She has called on deployed officers to ensure stability in the communities in which they will operate.