MPs have slammed Operation Prosper as a failure
Image: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers
President Cyril Ramaphosa praised the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for ‘positive results’ while responding to oral questions in the National Assembly; however, the streets of Cape Town continue to bleed.
The soldiers, who were deployed in an attempt to bring stability to the province as gang violence had reached a boiling point, were deployed on April 1, as part of Operation Prosper.
The SANDF was not only deployed to the Western Cape but also to other provinces to focus on specific threats:
- Western Cape – gangsterism and violent crime
- Eastern Cape – gang violence
- Gauteng – illegal mining activities
- North West – illegal mining operations
- Free State – illicit mining activities
The South African National Defence Force said it could not divulge the number of soldiers deployed to the Cape Flats.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Addressing the National Assembly, Ramaphosa said the deployment yielded significant progress in stabilising priority hotspots and also disrupting crime.
“It is a bit too early to draw definitive conclusions regarding the impact, and also to give the actual numbers. However, indications suggest that a reduction in selected crime categories within the operational areas has taken place,” Ramaphosa said.
He said more than 1,000 arrests were made, with 550 in the Western Cape and 238 in the Eastern Cape.
“There has been a strong focus on dismantling drug networks and illegal mining syndicates, alongside arrests that are linked to serious violent crimes,” Ramaphosa said.
However, DA chief whip George Michalakis cited statistics and said the situation has actually worsened since the deployment of the soldiers on the Cape Flats, while the cost of Operation Prosper was R823 million.
The Western Cape police spokesperson, Brigadier Novela Potelwa, said integrated operations will intensify over time.
“With Operation Prosper having commenced on Wednesday, 1 April 2026, guided by crime pattern analysis, we envisage that our integrated operations will intensify over time. We have set our sights on executing intelligence-driven operations in problematic hotspots that have previously experienced shooting incidents resulting in murders and attempted murders, with communities playing an active role by sharing vital information on firearms, drugs, extortion, and manifestations of gang-related crime,” Potelwa said.
She said the SAPS undertakes to act decisively on all intelligence shared with the integrated forces.
“A review of the crime landscape indicates that much still needs to be done to stabilise these areas. With continued determination, the forces will persist in targeting identified hotspots in search of firearms, ammunition, and drugs, which are regarded as key drivers of crime. Operation Prosper is expected to yield the desired results, and a detailed overview of successes achieved will be communicated in due course,” Potelwa told IOL.
IOL further reached out to the SANDF to provide clarity on its successes during its deployment across the Cape Flats.
“The full impact of the SANDF deployment in Cape Town, which is aimed at denying organised criminal elements freedom of operation within identified gang-affected areas, will be assessed through crime statistics, operational outcomes, and ability of SA Police Service to maintain sustained control within affected areas. Therefore, the successes of this deployment will be captured in future SAPS crime statistics,” it said.
When asked how many soldiers were deployed, the SANDF responded: “In relation to a number of soldiers deployed to the Western Cape, the SANDF views this as a security-sensitive subject for the operation that cannot be divulged to parties and/or entities that are not involved in the operation”.
So while speculation of the success of Operation Prosper is dwindling, shooting incidents continue unabated across Cape Town, with multiple reports of deaths and injuries since Monday reported in areas such as Atlantis, Retreat, Steenberg, Mitchells Plain, Parkwood, Lotus River, Kuilsriver, and Grassy Park.
Community activists and crime-fighters have previously stated it was a waste of taxpayers’ money deploying the SANDF to Cape Town, as no changes have been made; instead, rapid gunfire continues, and the loss of lives increases daily.
Previously, a community activist from Hanover Park, Yaseen Johaar, told IOL that the deployment of the army will not bring any solution to the scourge of gangsterism.
“The deployment is a waste of money. The process to get the SANDF deployed is costly in itself, and on top of that, you have the actual cost per member. You also have medical staff and associated costs per person,” Johaar said.
A Heideveld community worker, Vanessa Nelson, also told IOL that initially she was one of the people calling for the military deployment.
“My impression of the army in our area should show some sort of stability; however, they seem to just be driving through areas with no intent of combat or plan of action to deal with the aspect of gangsterism and drug dens. Through SAPS, they should be aware of houses, names, and where things are happening,” Nelson said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
IOL