Overview
- Deputy Defence Minister Bantu Holomisa said the SANDF is ready and could deploy within about two weeks once Parliament is formally notified.
- The Presidency directed the Police and Defence ministers to complete a tactical plan in the coming days and to identify priority areas for the operation.
- Ramaphosa stressed that troops will support SAPS rather than replace police, with operational details withheld to protect effectiveness.
- The mission targets violent gang hotspots in the Western Cape and illegal mining syndicates in Gauteng, with size, duration and costs still to be disclosed to lawmakers.
- Local leaders welcomed short-term stabilisation but urged structural reforms, with Cape Town citing SAPS staffing declines, high vacancy rates and low conviction rates.