By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of 2200 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers across the country to combat illegal mining and gang-related violence.
Soldiers were deployed in Johannesburg on Wednesday and patrolled multiple communities. On Thursday, the SANDF and SAPS conducted raids on illegal miners at two abandoned mine dumps outside Randfontein as part of Operation Prosper, the Gauteng leg of the SANDF deployment, which includes 550 soldiers who will be deployed until 30 April 2027 at a cost of R80-million.
At the first mining site in Randfontein, suspected illegal miners fled on foot as heavily armed forces arrived. Several SANDF trucks and SAPS vehicles entered the remote area, navigating rough terrain away from a nearby informal settlement.
Soldiers and police searched deep holes believed to be linked to illegal mining activity, and security forces set fire to piles of suspected gold-bearing materials believed to have been prepared for processing.
At a second site, security forces confiscated equipment believed to be used in illegal mining operations, including about eight large generators, other machinery and ropes.
In a statement on Friday, Presidency said, “President Cyril Ramaphosa has in line with 201(3) (a) (b) (c) and (D) of the Constitution informed the National Assembly and National Council of Provinces of his decision to deploy 2200 members of SANDF for service in cooperation with SA Police Service (SAPS).
“The deployed soldiers will assist SAPS to prevent and combat illegal mining and gangsterism in Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, North West and Western Cape, read the statement.”
The deployment is for the period 01 March until 31 March 2027 and for this deployment it is estimated that it will cost R823 153 960.
Section 201(2)(a) of the Constitution of the South Africa states 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, concluded the statement.
The SANDF has been deployed on multiple occasions in the past to fight both gangsterism and illegal mining, with critics saying there was little to show for it.