Cape Town – A 33-year-old Elsies River man is fighting for his life in Tygerberg Hospital after he was allegedly beaten unconscious by a group of police officers and soldiers deployed under the high-profile Operation Prosper. The incident, which has left the community in shock, is the latest in a mounting list of brutality allegations against the joint security force tasked with dismantling gangs in the Western Cape.
Leroy Beets, a father of two, sustained severe injuries to his kidneys and lungs during what his family describes as a two-hour ordeal of torture and assault. His wife, Candice Beets, told News24 that the incident began on Wednesday morning when Leroy was stopped by officers while walking home from a local shop with their two-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old relative.
“My husband was beaten from about 11:30 until around 13:30,” a sobbing Candice alleged. “When I arrived, they wouldn’t allow me into the house. I asked why they were beating my husband, but they told me to get away. I could only stand outside and hear him screaming for help. Do you know how painful and humiliating that is?”
The allegations are particularly chilling. Candice claimed that officers placed a bag over Leroy’s head before spraying teargas into his nose and mouth. She also alleged that the officers involved were the same ones against whom Leroy had previously opened an assault case earlier this year, suggesting a targeted campaign of intimidation.
After the alleged assault, Leroy was found unconscious outside his mother’s house. He was rushed to Elsies River Day Hospital before being transferred to Tygerberg Hospital due to the severity of his condition. Beyond the physical toll, the family’s home was reportedly left in ruins. “They broke the bed, kicked in the toilet, and damaged property throughout the house. We photographed everything,” Candice said.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed that multiple allegations of assault, intimidation, and property damage involving Operation Prosper members are under investigation. However, Western Cape police spokesperson Colonel André Traut declined to disclose the exact number of complaints, citing a national moratorium on crime statistics.
“The police are unable to disclose the number of cases or complaints that may have been registered as the release of crime statistics and related figures remains subject to a national moratorium,” Traut said. He added that the SAPS remains committed to thorough and impartial investigations and does not tolerate violence or brutality.
Operation Prosper was launched in April with much fanfare, intended to restore order to gang-ridden communities like Mitchells Plain and Elsies River. With an estimated R823 million budget for its 13-month duration, the operation was supposed to be the state’s definitive answer to escalating gang violence. However, three months into the deployment, the results have been underwhelming.
Police Minister Firoz Cachalia recently admitted that not a single gang had been dismantled since the operation began. Instead of feeling safer, many residents say they now live in fear of the very people sent to protect them. The use of face coverings by soldiers during raids has become a major point of contention, with residents alleging it makes identification impossible and emboldens misconduct.
“If police officers conduct stop-and-search operations and house raids with their faces visible, what makes these soldiers so special that they can come into our community, beat up our people, and we can’t even see their faces?” Candice Beets asked.
The lack of transparency has prompted the Democratic Alliance (DA) to take action. Nicholas Gotsell, a DA MP and member of Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence, has submitted Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) applications to obtain an interim report on the operation’s impact.
“Without one, no answers or tangible solutions can be offered to communities living under daily siege from gang violence,” Gotsell said. He argued that while the deployment may have provided "limited moments of visible relief," it has not been properly intelligence-led or prosecution-guided. Gotsell also questioned whether the operation was delivering value for its massive price tag.
The Beets family has opened new criminal cases for assault and malicious damage to property, adding to their existing legal battles with the police. For them, the "protection" offered by Operation Prosper has come at a devastating cost.
“What kind of human, who is supposed to uphold the law, does these kinds of inhumane things to another person?” Candice asked. “They damaged our home; who is going to pay for all the unnecessary damage they caused? It’s sickening.”
As the SAPS and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) continue their investigations, the community of Elsies River remains on edge. The promise of safety has been replaced by the reality of sirens, face-masked soldiers, and the screams of neighbours. For Leroy Beets, the road to recovery will be long, but for the state, the road to regaining the trust of the communities it serves may be even longer.
The failure to dismantle gangs, combined with the growing list of brutality claims, has placed Operation Prosper at a crossroads. Without greater transparency and accountability, the R823 million operation risks being remembered not for the gangs it broke, but for the lives and homes it damaged in the process. The eyes of the nation are now on the Western Cape, waiting for the results of the internal investigations and the promised close-out reports. For the people of Elsies River, however, the wait for justice is one they feel they cannot afford.afford.
