The South African National Defence Union (SANDU) has escalated its concerns over the welfare of military personnel deployed under Operation Prosper, announcing imminent legal proceedings unless living conditions at Fort iKapa in Cape Town are urgently addressed.
Jeff Dubazana, SANDU’s Chief Negotiator, outlined a series of critical failures affecting approximately 146 soldiers assigned to support law enforcement efforts against entrenched gang violence. According to Dubazana, personnel are accommodated in a single aircraft hangar suffering from a leaking roof, broken ventilation systems, and severely insufficient sanitation infrastructure—only three toilets are available, with one reported as non-functional.
“Basic dignity is being denied,” Dubazana stated. He highlighted that essential supplies such as toilet paper and cleaning materials are not being provided, and that food rations are both inadequate and served in containers, compromising meal quality and temperature. With the Western Cape currently experiencing winter conditions—characterized by cold, rain, and dampness—Dubazana noted that soldiers have been forced to erect tents inside the hangar to shield themselves from the elements.
The union reports that at least eight deployed members have already fallen ill due to these conditions, with Dubazana emphasizing both the physical and psychological strain on personnel. “A soldier is trained to endure hardship, but when hardship is deliberately imposed through neglect, it destroys morale and mental well-being,” he said.
SANDU is seeking a court order that would require the Department of Defence to either remedy the identified deficiencies within seven days of a judgment or relocate personnel to habitable accommodation. However, Dubazana expressed doubt that either option is immediately viable, citing nearly two decades of systemic underfunding within the SANDF. “This is not an isolated case,” he explained. “Units across the country face similar challenges. Where would alternative accommodation even come from?”
Dubazana also raised questions about the operational planning behind Operation Prosper. Referencing the SANDF’s prior withdrawal from the Democratic Republic of Congo due to logistical failures, he suggested that presidential and ministerial approvals for the Cape Town deployment may have relied on inaccurate assessments of unit readiness. “We do not believe leadership would have sanctioned this deployment if they truly understood the conditions these soldiers face,” he said.
He further stressed that military personnel are constitutionally mandated for national defence, not prolonged domestic policing roles. “These are combat-trained professionals. Subjecting them to substandard living conditions while asking them to support police operations is both impractical and unjust,” Dubazana added.
SANDU confirmed that urgent legal applications are being prepared to compel immediate corrective action. The union continues to advocate for the welfare of deployed members while calling on government structures to honor their duty of care to those entrusted with protecting the nation.