Firoz Cachalia Defends Operation Prosper as Western Cape Gang Violence Continues

• Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia defended Operation Prosper before parliament after an MK Party MP questioned its effectiveness
• At least 30 people were killed in the Western Cape over a single weekend despite the R823 million joint SAPS and SANDF deployment
• Cachalia cited 672 arrests and murder reductions at 11 police stations, but acknowledged some areas had only recently received deployments

WESTERN CAPE — Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has defended Operation Prosper in parliament, insisting the R823 million joint deployment is producing measurable results, even as mass shootings continue to claim lives across Western Cape communities.

Cachalia was responding to a parliamentary question from MK Party MP Glen Taaibosch, who challenged whether the operation was delivering any meaningful impact on gang violence. The exchange came after more than 30 people were killed across the province over a single weekend, adding to a toll that already included at least 29 deaths from eight separate mass shootings recorded during the operation's opening months.

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Operation Prosper's shifting strategy

Launched in April as a joint effort between the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force, Operation Prosper targets gang violence, extortion, organised crime and illegal firearms in identified crime hotspots. Cachalia told parliament the operation was moving past its initial high-visibility stabilisation phase and shifting toward intelligence-led policing, with a focus on arresting key figures connected to gang networks, disrupting drug trafficking, recovering illegal weapons and building stronger cases for prosecution.

The acting minister acknowledged localised flare-ups and ongoing concerns around gang-related violence but said it was premature to draw firm conclusions in areas where deployments had only recently commenced. He added that available indicators pointed to reductions in selected crime categories across several operational zones.

By June, authorities had recorded 672 arrests in the Western Cape under the operation, along with seized firearms, ammunition, explosives and illicit narcotics. Reported reductions in murders were noted at 11 police stations.

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SAPS to adjust tactics where needed

Cachalia confirmed that SAPS was continuously reviewing the operation and would revise deployments, tactics and resource allocation in response to conditions on the ground. Operation Prosper is coordinated through the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure, with SANDF personnel active in priority areas.

The minister emphasised that the focus remained on intelligence gathering, inter-agency cooperation, investigative capacity and sustained visible policing.

MK Party questions effectiveness of Operation Prosper

Previously, Briefly News reported that the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party challenged the government over the ongoing bloodshed on the Cape Flats, arguing that the joint deployment of police and soldiers has demonstrably failed to protect communities from gang violence. MK Party Member of Parliament Zibuse Cele directed a formal Parliamentary question to Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia about the ineffectiveness of the deployment, as violence continues unabated in the province.

Source: Briefly News