President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed the deployment of 550 soldiers to fight illegal mining in Gauteng.
The deployment is expected to cost more than R80m.
Ramaphosa announced in his state of the nation address last month that the army will be deployed to assist the police to prevent and combat the illegal mining activities that have plagued the province.
In a letter dated March 5 to National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza, Ramaphosa said the employment is from January 31 to April 30.
“I have employed 550 members of the SANDF for service in co-operation with the SAPS to prevent and combat crime and maintain and preserve law and order in Gauteng under Operation Prosper — illegal mining,” he said.
“This employment is authorised in accordance with the provisions of section 201(2)(a) of the constitution.”
MPs have also raised concern about the scope of the deployment, the conduct of SANDF members and funding
Ramaphosa told Didiza he would communicate the same to Refilwe Mtsweni, chairperson of the National Council of Provinces. Didiza referred the letter to the joint standing committee on defence for consideration.
The Gauteng deployment is the first in a phased approach. Ramaphosa also intends to deploy soldiers to gang-ravaged communities in the Western Cape and to assist the police in fighting extortion in the Eastern Cape.
Parliament’s portfolio committees for police and for mineral and petroleum resources have previously urged the police to ensure that the deployment of soldiers does not trample on the human rights of South Africans.
The two committees said the army is not trained to deal with civilians and the police should therefore ensure that civilians’ human rights are protected.
MPs have also raised concern about the scope of the deployment, the conduct of SANDF members and funding. They questioned whether sufficient funding had been secured, warning against launching an initiative that could later be hamstrung by budget constraints.
TimesLIVE
Sisanda Mbolekwa
www.timeslive.co.za
