Ramaphosa says murders fell in 14 of 17 precincts targeted by Operation Prosper

President Cyril Ramaphosa says murders and violent crime declined in 14 of the 17 high-crime police precincts targeted through joint police and military deployments under Operation Prosper.

The figures were given in a parliamentary response assessing the intervention in crime hotspots, particularly in the Western Cape and Cape Town.

Ramaphosa said more than 2,000 South African National Defence Force members had been deployed to support the South African Police Service. The operation focuses on gang violence, illegal mining and organised crime.

He said the government used changes in violent crime and murder, arrests and operational activity to measure progress.

Government reports arrests and seizures

An earlier joint SAPS and SANDF statement said 1,054 suspects had been arrested during operations across 17 Western Cape precincts. The listed offences included murder, attempted murder, firearm and drug crimes, and illegal liquor trading.

Separate operations have also taken place in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, Free State and North West. Government has reported arrests linked to illegal mining, firearms and immigration offences.

Ramaphosa described the decline in 14 precincts as evidence of a stabilising effect, while acknowledging that gang-related violence remained persistent.

The Presidency attributed the continuing violence to entrenched criminal networks and broader social and economic conditions.