South African army and police units swept through Lavender Hill and Steenberg on Friday evening, targeting suspected drug houses as part of Operation Prosper. Children trailed the convoy with excitement, while some residents and officials voiced scepticism over its lasting effect on gang violence. No shootings have been reported in the areas since the raids.
A small contingent of soldiers from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and police officers raided several suspected drug houses and conducted spot searches in Lavender Hill and Steenberg on the Cape Flats on Friday evening.
Young children followed the convoy from their homes, including over 300m in areas like Military Heights, drawn by the rare spectacle amid a lack of playgrounds or activities. A community leader told GroundUp that such brief deployments create only a temporary sense of safety, warning that gang violence would resume without sustained presence.
Sergeant Wesley Twigg reported on Sunday that no shootings had occurred in Lavender Hill and Steenberg since Friday. This follows a Thursday deployment in Steenberg and Muizenberg precincts, where police found a 9mm pistol in a house on Trevor Siljeur Street in Vrygrond and arrested a suspect for illegal firearm possession.
Nicola Small, chairperson of the Steenberg Community Police Forum, welcomed the operation, noting a drop in violent crime due to increased visibility. 'It definitely shows that additional boots on the ground and visibility impact crime,' she said.
However, MP Ian Cameron of the Democratic Alliance questioned its effectiveness, calling for intelligence-led and prosecution-focused efforts. Operation Prosper involves 2,200 SANDF members across provinces until 31 March 2027 at a cost exceeding R800m, amid ongoing gang-related shootings elsewhere, with seven men due in court on Monday.