Cape Town — The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) believed that the deployment of extra soldiers to stop illegal mining has already had an impact.
In the wake of the illegal miners trapped underground at Stilfontein, President Cyril Ramaphosa extended Operation Prosper to bring the situation to an abrupt end. However, the Department of Defence (DoD) said it had posed a strain on an underfunded force, EWN reported.
Parliament’s joint standing committee was asked to approve the extension and it said that, while it was unclear where the additional R140 million would come from to deploy a further 1 100 soldiers, communities close to the mines would benefit from it.
Lieutenant-General, Siphiwe Sangweni, led the operation in six provinces where illegal mining occurs most. He said the Department was able to create space for the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources to close some shafts down, however, the SANDF’s main focus is to safeguard South African borders.
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“We do not have adequate numbers, meaning boots on the ground, as well and we are struggling with capabilities, meaning equipment,” he said.
According to IOL, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has been able to close several of the shafts thanks to the SANDF’s efforts to clear space.
However, he noted that because the force’s main responsibility was to defend the nation, such deployments put a strain on them. The military said there was no funding set up for the second phase of the operation, or the third extension, due to the underfunding of the first phase.
The department also stated that, despite only receiving R150 million in funding, it went over budget by R200 million during the first phase.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
