CABINET has welcomed the deployment of 3 300 members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) from 28 October 2023 until 28 April 2024.
They will support the police and other law enforcement agencies to deal with illegal mining in the country.
The Minister in The Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said this during a media briefing in Tshwane on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Thursday, 16 November.
The deployment of soldiers comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa authorised the deployment of 3 300 soldiers to assist the police in tackling the scourge of illegal mining.
The operation, dubbed Operation Prosper, seeks to prevent and combat crime while maintaining and preserving the law.
Ntshavheni said this deployment of the SANDF will affirm the government’s commitment to end illegal mining and create conditions for inclusive growth and transformation of the economy.
She said the ministers of the justice, crime prevention and security clusters have provided progress with work underway to fight against crime.
The minister said Cabinet also condemned the stabbing of a female Cape Peninsula University of Technology student by her husband and has called on society to work together with the government to eliminate gender-based violence while law enforcement agencies continue to bring perpetrators of such callous acts to justice.
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She said that 2023 marks the 25th anniversary since South Africa initiated the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign.
Ntshavheni said the launch will be held in Mpumalanga at the Nsikazi Stadium, Mbombela, under the theme: Accelerating actions to end gender-based violence & femicide: leaving no one behind.
The sub-theme of the campaign is: Safe access for women to clean water: a basic human right.
She said this would address the barriers women face in safely accessing water and sanitation, among other things.
“Cabinet also noted with concern the reported deaths of children due to malnutrition as reported by the Human Rights Commission. Cabinet wishes to remind members of the community about government support programmes such as the child support grant which is aimed at assisting families to meet the basic needs of children," Ntshavheni said.
“This is in addition to the comprehensive Social Assistance Programme through which government provides healthy meals to vulnerable households through the School Nutrition Program and Community Nutrition and Development Centres.”
Other issues discussed during the Cabinet meeting included water security, energy, corruption and infrastructure.
