Ramaphosa to keep 10,000 soldiers on SA's streets till September 13 — at a cost of R255m

Defence force commander-in-chief President Cyril Ramaphosa says 10,000 soldiers will remain on SA's streets until mid-September, in the wake of recent violent civil unrest.

In a letter to National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo, dated August 10, Ramaphosa states that the deployment will come at a cost of just shy of R255m.

Ramaphosa had initially deployed 25,000 soldiers from July 12 to August 12. The extended deployment — albeit at less than half the original number of boots on the ground — kicked in from August 13 and will run to September 13.

According to the president, the soldiers will work with police “in the prevention and combating of crime and preservation of law and order” across the country.

“The expenditure expected to be incurred for this extended employment is R254,914,500,” Ramaphosa wrote.

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