Acting Police Minister Prof. Firoz Cachalia has confirmed that Operation Prosper has not eradicated or dismantled a single gang since its rollout in crime hotspots across South Africa.
The admission emerged during a parliamentary reply to questions about the joint police and military deployment. It follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s earlier State of the Union commitment to strengthen the fight against organised crime through the use of soldiers.
Operation Prosper records 916 arrests and major seizures in first month
Police and soldiers arrested 916 people between 1 and 30 April under Operation Prosper. They also seized 21 illegal firearms during the same period.
Officials confiscated large volumes of drugs. These included 1 260.27 kg of dagga, 3 650 g of cocaine, 46 g of crack cocaine, 2 364 g of crystal methamphetamine (tik) and 18 114 g of heroin. A further 30 252 prescription tablets of various types were taken, along with Mandrax tablets and powder, khat and nyaope.
Thirty-four people were arrested specifically for drug trafficking.
Operation Prosper shifts from disruption to gang eradication
Cachalia made clear that no gang has yet been dismantled under the operation. He explained that “dismantle” means an entire gang ceases to exist.
He emphasised that Operation Prosper is now entering a new phase.
“With the focus shifting from operations to disrupt criminal activities to the elimination and dismantling of identified crime gangs,”
Cachalia stated.
This marks a deliberate move beyond initial disruption work.
Soldiers deployed across five provinces in 59 priority areas
Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of soldiers to support police against gang violence and illegal mining. The move followed his assessment that organised crime poses the most immediate threat to South Africa’s democracy, society and economic progress.
Under Operation Prosper, soldiers operate alongside police in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape against gang violence. In Gauteng they target both gang activity and illegal miners, known as zama-zamas. Deployments in the North West and Free State focus on illegal mining.
The operation began on 1 April, with some illegal-mining actions in Gauteng starting in February. It will run for 12 months across 59 prioritised police areas in the five provinces. The exact number of soldiers deployed in each province remains classified for operational reasons.
ActionSA MP questions results in Parliament
ActionSA MP Dereleen James asked for a full update on Operation Prosper. She sought details on the provinces and communities involved, the number of SANDF soldiers deployed, and the operation’s concrete outcomes, including arrests and any gangs dismantled.
Cachalia’s reply supplied the arrest and seizure figures while clarifying the strategic shift now under way.
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