A SANDF soldier patrols Tafelsig in Mitchells Plain during Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s oversight visit linked to Operation Prosper in May 2026.
Five months after the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was deployed to the Western Cape to support the South African Police Service (SAPS) in combating rampant crime and gangsterism, the region is now facing an alarming crisis.
In just the last two weeks, over 170 lives have been tragically lost and more than 100 individuals wounded, prompting renewed calls for the declaration of a state of disaster.
The numbers include children under the age of 18, with more than 20 either wounded or killed, and the dominating areas such as Nyanga, Khayelitsha, and Mitchells Plain showcasing double-digit fatalities.
The rise in murders and attempted murders comes just as newly appointed provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Sizakhele William Dyanti, vowed to intensify the fight against gang violence, illegal firearms, and extortion.
