CAPE TOWN - Despite the importance of Operation Prosper in dealing with gang violence and illegal mining, soldiers are living in squalor at Fort Ikapa in the Western Cape.
The South African National Defence Union (Sandu) described the living conditions of about 150 soldiers as scandalous and inhumane.
Sandu wants the High Court in Pretoria to compel government to address the living conditions.
According to the union, soldiers are living in a leaking hangar in Fort Ikapa in the Western Cape.
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They have two working toilets, no toilet paper, no cleaning detergents, and no hot water.
Sandu Chief negotiator Jeff Dubazana said they've written to the Department of Defense to address the living conditions, but have received no response.
"This is no longer a departmental issue; it is a government issue. Our government is scandalously treating our members in a very bad way. And the only option we had was to go to court and to force the government to do right by our members."
Dubazana said the mental health of soldiers is also concerning, given their poor living conditions and the role they play in helping to combat crime in gang hotspots.
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Meanwhile, Deputy President Paul Mashatile said Operation Prosper is the operation of the police supported by the army, SANDF, in the Western Cape, particularly the Cape Metro and Cape Flats, to deal with gangsterism and violence.
The SANDF failed to respond to eNCA's queries at the time this story aired