The Joint Standing Committee on Defence says conditions at Fort iKapa Military Base in Cape Town are not inhumane, despite serious concerns raised by the SA National Defence Union.
The base is currently accommodating 146 soldiers deployed under Operation Prosper.
These soldiers were sent to the Western Cape to assist police in dealing with gang violence.
The committee’s visit came after SANDU demanded urgent action from the Department of Defence. The union claimed soldiers were living in unsafe and poor conditions.
Union Raised Alarm Over Toilets and Showers
According to reports, SANDU’s lawyers raised concerns about the soldiers’ living conditions.
The concerns included a leaking hangar, no warm water for showers, unsanitary toilets and limited toilet facilities.
Photos shared by SANDU also showed the conditions the soldiers were allegedly living in.
The union’s complaints added pressure on the Department of Defence to respond.
The issue also comes as R823 million has been allocated nationally for the SANDF to support the SAPS with priority internal tasks.
MPs Say Conditions Were Adequate
Co-chairperson of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Phiroane Phala, visited Fort iKapa with two committee members.
After the visit, the committee said the living conditions at the base were adequate.
In a parliamentary statement, Phala said what they saw was different from reports claiming soldiers were housed in inhumane conditions.
He said the visit gave them first-hand evidence and claimed the reports were “fabricated” to damage the SANDF’s reputation.
Phala added that they did not expect “hotel-like accommodation” but said the conditions met reasonable standards under the circumstances.
DA Disputes the Committee’s Findings
DA NCOP member Nicholas Gotsell also visited the base and said he found soldiers sleeping in barracks with leaking roofs.
DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans, Chris Hattingh, said management knew about the problems before the soldiers arrived.
Hattingh said MPs were told during a June 3 oversight visit that shortcomings had already been identified in February 2026.
According to him, soldiers arrived on March 15 but almost three months later, repair work had still not started.
The matter has now sparked a sharp clash over whether deployed soldiers are being properly housed while carrying out crime-fighting duties in the Western Cape.
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