Parliament, Monday, 9 March 2026 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Mr Ian Cameron, has raised serious concern about delays on the part of senior management of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in presenting a cogent and coherent operational plan for the deployment of SANDF members to hotspot areas affected by gang violence and illegal mining.
“The lack of planning, uncertainty and silo mentality has been evident in the pre-deployment phase since the announcement made by the President during the 2026 State of the Nation Address. A presidential directive cannot be handled with such lethargy and apparent disinterest,” Mr Cameron said.
Mr Cameron noted that the two meetings held with Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence have laid bare the lack of collaboration between the SAPS and the SANDF. According to the Chairperson, this discordance reflects the silo mentality between government departments and illustrates why the SAPS continues to struggle to effectively combat crime.
“If the SAPS and SANDF cannot agree on a simple matter such as command and control, then the effectiveness of the mission will inevitably be undermined,” Mr Cameron emphasised.
The Chairperson further expressed concern that nearly a month after the President’s announcement, the senior management of the SANDF and SAPS have yet to agree on a clearly defined operational plan.
Also concerning, Mr Cameron said, is the SANDF’s suggestion that the deployment will occur across South Africa, which appears to diverge from the President’s original announcement. While a focused approach would have been preferable, with clear plans to address the “balloon effect”, where enforcement pressure in one area displaces criminal activity to another, the SANDF and SAPS appear to favour a broad deployment that will be difficult to monitor effectively.
The Chairperson indicated the need and urgency to hold a meeting between the committee and both the SANDF and SAPS. During this meeting, the leadership of both the SAPS and SANDF will be required to brief the committees on the deployment plans.
Mr Cameron added that the committee will urgently undertake the approval process to enable the meeting to sit.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON POLICE, MR IAN CAMERON.
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