Overview
- MPs questioned the lack of detailed timelines and operational specifics as SANDF leaders said deployment plans remain classified.
- SANDF told the Joint Standing Committee on Defence that troops will target illegal mining, gangsterism and organised crime in Gauteng, North West, Free State, Western Cape and the Eastern Cape.
- Officials said soldiers will operate under strict rules of engagement with explicit protections for civilians, and military intelligence teams are already in place.
- Defence Minister Angie Motshekga and Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni did not attend the session, prompting demands for physical appearances and sharper oversight.
- SAPS has set the deployment for 1 March 2026 to 31 March 2027, while officials estimate costs in the hundreds of millions of rands and say employment papers await the President’s sign-off before Treasury approval.