More than four months after the South African government announced a R1 billion crimefighting allocation for the South African Police Service (SAPS), only a small fraction of the funding has been spent, raising questions about the pace of implementation while organised crime continues to affect communities across the country.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana confirmed in February that both SAPS and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) would each receive R1 billion from the Criminal Assets Recovery Account to strengthen operations against organised crime until March 2027.
The funding was intended to support a nationwide crackdown targeting illegal mining, illicit trade, violent criminal networks and economic crimes.
However, information provided to Parliament shows that spending has barely begun.
According to a written response from the Ministry of Police, only R15.001 million had been spent by late June, leaving approximately R985 million still available.
The ministry said roughly R798.8 million has been allocated for operational deployments and organised crime interventions, while another R246 million is earmarked for equipment, technology, administration and broader national stabilisation initiatives.
Despite the available funding, authorities acknowledged that progress against organised criminal groups remains limited.
Responding to parliamentary questions regarding Operation Prosper, the ministry confirmed that no gangs had been fully dismantled during the reporting period.
Officials explained that dismantling a gang means eliminating the criminal organisation entirely rather than merely disrupting its activities. The current strategy is therefore shifting towards intelligence-led operations aimed at disabling criminal structures before attempting to dismantle them completely.
Gang violence remains a significant concern in several provinces, particularly Gauteng.
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The slow pace of spending has drawn criticism from opposition parties, which argue that communities most affected by gang violence continue to receive insufficient support.
Democratic Alliance Gauteng MPL Michael Sun said provincial funding does not match the scale of the problem.
Government figures show that Gauteng recorded 979 gang-related crimes during the past four financial years, including 258 murders and 408 attempted murders. Police arrested 641 suspects linked to gangs and recovered 189 illegal firearms associated with organised criminal groups.
Despite these statistics, Sun said no dedicated funding had been allocated specifically for gang investigations, while only R3.8 million had been budgeted for visible policing initiatives.
He argued that successful anti-gang strategies require specialised investigations, stronger intelligence gathering, the removal of illegal firearms, targeted action against drug syndicates and prevention programmes aimed at vulnerable young people.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi acknowledged that policing alone cannot solve gangsterism.
According to the premier, poverty, unemployment, school dropouts, family instability and limited community support all contribute to gang recruitment.
Areas including Westbury, Eldorado Park, Riverlea, Reiger Park, Booysens, Moffatview and Randfontein remain among the province’s most active gang hotspots.
Lesufi also revealed that at least 12 schools have been linked to gang recruitment activities, with teenage boys being particularly vulnerable.
He said many young people are drawn into gangs through peer pressure, the search for belonging, protection, financial opportunity and social status.
While substantial funding remains available for national crimefighting operations, lawmakers and community leaders continue to question whether resources are reaching the areas where they are needed most.
Source: Parliamentary replies, Ministry of Police