Gangs Roam Freely

Statement by Nicholas Gotsell MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice:

The DA has formally submitted PAIA applications to obtain the long-awaited interim Operation Prosper report from the SAPS and the SANDF. Without one, no answers or tangible solutions can be offered to communities living under daily siege from gang violence.

Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia has previously admitted that after three months of deployment, not a single gang was dismantled.

Two months ago, Presidency Spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said a report was being prepared and would be made public. However, since then no report has been made available. This lack of transparency is unacceptable.

Operation Prosper was meant to restore order, disrupt organised criminal networks and give communities hope that the state was regaining control. Instead, communities continue to witness brazen shootings, escalating gang wars and persistent lawlessness.

While the SANDF deployment may have provided some limited moments of visible relief, the operation has not been properly intelligence-led or prosecution-guided. There is also little evidence that the deployment is delivering value for the estimated R823 million cost attached to the 13-month operation.

Accessing the interim report is a necessary oversight to ascertain how many firearms, rounds of ammunition, arrests, raids, value of contraband, and suspects are scheduled to appear in court since the commencement of the deployment to date.

1,054 suspects have been arrested for serious offences, including murder, attempted murder, illegal possession of firearms and drug-related crimes. However, the public must be told how many of these cases have been enrolled in court, how many have collapsed, and how many suspects have been granted bail.

The DA has also submitted Parliamentary Questions on the deployment.

The DA demands answers on Operation Prosper from its commencement to date:

• Total illicit drugs seized (quantity, types, and estimated street value).
• Total gang members and wanted suspects arrested, including Crime Intelligence, Anti-Gang Unit, and Organised Crime profiling.
• Total illegal firearms recovered, including links to SAPS and private security companies, ballistic testing results, and ammunition recovered.

South Africans cannot trust the police and army to keep them safe when no transparency is offered and their cries are met with silence. The DA will continue to hold the officials accountable until communities receive clear answers and a credible plan.