The cost of Operation Prosper: Are taxpayers getting value against gang violence?

MPs have slammed Operation Prosper as a failure

Despite President Cyril Ramaphosa's commendation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for its ‘positive results’ in combatting gang violence, Cape Town continues to grapple with escalating unrest and bloodshed. The SANDF's deployment, part of Operation Prosper initiated on April 1, was meant to stabilise violent crime and gangsterism primarily concentrated in the Cape Flats.

While Ramaphosa cited the operation's role in making over 1,000 arrests, including 550 in the Western Cape and 238 in the Eastern Cape, critics have raised alarm bells. Democratic Alliance (DA) chief whip George Michalakis highlighted alarming statistics indicating that conditions have worsened since the military's arrival, despite Operation Prosper costing taxpayers a staggering R823 million.

In contrast, Brigadier Novela Potelwa, spokesperson for the Western Cape police, assures residents that integrated operations instigated under Operation Prosper will intensify, driven by community intelligence. She emphasised the ongoing efforts to target areas plagued by violent crime, stating, “A review of the crime landscape indicates that much still needs to be done to stabilise these areas."