SANDF to support SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal until 30 November - IOL

Ramaphosa authorises deployment of 510 SANDF members to KwaZulu-Natal.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the deployment of 510 SANDF members to KwaZulu-Natal from 9 October to 30 November 2026 to support the SAPS during planned marches and respond to possible unrest.

In a letter dated October 21, 2026, addressed to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza, Ramaphosa informed Parliament of the deployment under Operation PROSPER, following the violence linked to anti-immigration protests in the province.

According to the letter, the soldiers will assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) in maintaining law and order during planned marches against illegal immigrants. 

The deployment follows a Constitutional Court judgment in the matter of Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and Another v Minister of Home Affairs and Others.

Ramaphosa said misinformation surrounding the judgment contributed to violence during anti-immigration protests in KwaZulu-Natal.

“Members of the SANDF employed will assist the SAPS in maintaining law and order in KZN Province during the planned marches against illegal immigrants,” the letter stated.

The soldiers will also remain on standby to respond to any eventualities during the period of deployment, which runs from October 9 to November 30, 2026.

The deployment is expected to cost the state R34 082 720.

This comes amid heightened tensions surrounding immigration in KwaZulu-Natal, where anti-immigration demonstrations have been accompanied by violence linked to misinformation about the Constitutional Court judgment.

The deployment of the soldiers is intended to bolster police capacity and ensure that planned marches do not escalate into further violence or threaten public safety, the letter read.