MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Ramaphosa Must Properly Inform Parliament About SANDF Deployments

Ramaphosa Must Properly Inform Parliament About SANDF Deployments

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

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is demanding urgent clarity from the President as to why the letters of employment for the SANDF deployments announced during the State of the Nation Address, particularly those relating to gang violence in Gauteng, the Western Cape and Nelson Mandela Bay, have still not been tabled before the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD).

Whilst the DA welcomes the short-term deployment, to support the SAPS, we are concerned by the apparent lack of constitutional compliance.

Instead, Parliament only on Monday received a letter authorising a SANDF deployment to combat illegal mining in Gauteng under Operation Prosper, despite the fact that the deployment began on 30 January 2026 – and will end on 30 April.

This means Parliament was informed 38 days after troops were promised to be deployed. Whilst the DA welcomes the deployment, it is concerned by the apparent lack of constitutional compliance – particularly when R80 million is made available for a deployment that is almost at its end.

Section 201 of the Constitution requires the President to inform Parliament promptly when the SANDF is employed so that Parliament can exercise oversight.

When notification occurs more than a month after the fact, Parliament’s ability to meaningfully exercise its oversight powers is significantly undermined.

The decision to employ the SANDF should already have been informed by consultations with SAPS, the SANDF Chief and relevant national security structures. Yet the absence of the employment letters for the gang-related deployments, combined with the clear lack of preparedness displayed by the Department of Defence and SAPS during last week’s Joint Standing Committee meetings, raises serious concerns about the President’s original announcement.

These concerns are compounded by the Department of Defence’s financial position.

During last week’s committee meeting, the Secretary for Defence confirmed that the Department does not currently have the funds required for the newly announced deployments, which are estimated to cost R823 million.

This comes while the Department has still failed to account to Parliament for how it spent R813 million allocated for troop allowances above its 2024/25 budget.

The DA therefore calls on the President to urgently table the employment letters for the gang-related deployments so that the Joint Standing Committee on Defence can properly interrogate them.

Parliament is constitutionally bound to exercise oversight over military deployments by the President.

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…

  • November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…

  • NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now

    Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. There was a German, an Italian and Van der Merwe on death row.The warden gave them a choice of three ways to die:

    1. to be shot

    2. to be hung

  2. Interview with a pirate:

    There was a pirate who had agreed to do an interview with a local tv station. The reporter was very courteous and professional, giving a bit of background as to the pirate\’s business. She then began interviewing him.

    \”So Mr. Longbeard, are there any risks to your business? I see you have a peg leg- how did that come about?\”

    \”Well, y\’see I were sailing along the coast of South Africa, looking to plunder some locals when as I boarded the small boat from the ship, a great white shark came up and got my leg clean off. \’twas scary yes, but thus is the life of a pirate.\”

    \”Wow, that is pretty scary- well, how about your hook? What happened to your hand with that?\”

    \”Oh now that\’s quite the tale, y\’see I were fighting a rival pirate, and we had locked swords. We had been fighting for a few hours, and were both terribly fatigued. I had a bit of exhaustion and confusion, and when I went to block one of his sword blows, I met him with me hand instead of me sword. Took it right off, but it shocked him so much I managed to get him back pretty good and have him submit. So the hook hand was given as a replacement.\”

    \”Wow. Simply fascinating. Now, what about your eye patch? How did that happen?\”

    \”Well, one day, a seagull was flying overhead, and I looked up. It pooped right in me eye.\”

    \”… Well wow. I must admit, I wouldn\’t think just seagull poop could damage the eye that badly.\”

    \”Oh, I forgot to mention… it were me first day with the hook.\”