Members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) are preparing for their deployment to gang and organised crime hotspots across the Cape Flats and other parts of the Western Cape as of Wednesday, 1 April 2026.
Over 500 members of the SANDF, along with the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the City of Cape Town, held a final readiness parade on Tuesday as part of preparations ahead of their deployment under Operation Prosper, which will stay in effect until 31 March 2027.
The parade demonstrated the state of readiness of deployed forces and reflected an integrated deployment approach by law enforcement and security partners to enhance safety and combat crime in affected communities.
This deployement comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during the State of the Nation Address on 12 February 2026 that 2,200 SANDF members would be deployed to support the SAPS to deal with gang violence and illicit mining at identified crime hotspots across five provinces.
Western Cape Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC, Anroux Marais, has appealed to residents to support authorities during this time by providing information that might help dismantle gang and crime groups.
READ MORE: WC SAPS confirms operational exercises underway ahead of SANDF deployment
