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BL Premium reports that the “imminent danger” posed by illegal miners has necessitated a multidisciplinary approach, with the muscle of a brigade from the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) soon kicking into gear.
The brigade of about 3,000 soldiers is in the final preparation stages at the defence force’s mobilisation centre at De Brug near Bloemfontein. Operations will probably start towards the middle of November. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in a letter to the National Council of Provinces the extension of Operation Prosper, in which the SANDF supports the police in crime prevention or related operations. The extension over the next six months will cost R110m for 880 soldiers and will be funded by the Treasury. The SANDF will have to foot the bill from its operational budget to support the rest of the huge deployment. At least three tactical headquarters and 13 sub-units (companies) of soldiers will assist in hotspots identified for intervention. During stages 1 and 2, operations will be concentrated in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The Free State and the Northern Cape will follow later. However, mine security specialist Louis Nel said the plan was flawed and he described it as “political grandstanding”. “It will not achieve any lasting results because the whole approach is wrong. They will mow the lawn, but it will grow again. For lasting success you need to root out those who buy the illegal minerals — not the foot soldiers operating underground,” Nel pointed out.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Erika Gibson at BusinessLive (subscriber access only)
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page