A South African National Defence Force soldier has been filmed striking a woman twice during a confrontation in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, raising questions about the conduct of troops deployed alongside police in Cape Town communities under Operation Prosper.
The footage, which has circulated widely on social media, appears to show the woman intervening during a confrontation before the soldier hits her. The soldier can also be heard telling her to “f#@k off”.
South African Police Service members and other soldiers are visible at the scene.
A second video shows the woman’s husband speaking to police after the confrontation. It is not clear from the footage what led to the argument, whether the woman had been detained or what happened immediately before the soldier struck her.
The videos have prompted questions about whether the force used was lawful, whether police officers present intervened and what steps were taken afterwards.
The soldier’s identity has not been released. The woman’s identity has also not been made public.
SANDF And SAPS Asked For Answers
The police were asked whether a criminal case had been opened and what action the SAPS members at the scene took. No response had been received by the time of publication.
The SANDF was also approached for comment and asked to review the footage. The video was supplied to the defence force, but no response had been received by the time of publication.
The absence of an immediate explanation has left the footage as the main public record of the confrontation. It does not, however, establish the full circumstances or provide a complete account of what happened before and after the apparent assault.
The woman’s husband appears in the second video speaking to police. The recording does not confirm whether a complaint was formally registered or whether the police opened an investigation.
A formal inquiry would need to establish the identities of the people involved, the purpose of the operation, the instructions given to soldiers and police officers, and whether the force used was justified.
It would also need to determine whether any officer or soldier attempted to stop the confrontation, helped the woman afterwards or recorded a statement from her and her husband.
MP Calls Footage ‘Deeply Disturbing’
DA MP Nicholas Gotsell, who serves on Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence and the Select Committee on Security and Justice, described the footage as “deeply disturbing”.
Gotsell said the apparent assault could not be excused by the soldier’s deployment or by the difficult conditions in crime-affected communities.
“There can be no justification for a soldier unlawfully assaulting a civilian. The presence of SAPS members also raises serious questions about what they witnessed, whether they intervened and what action followed,” he said.
He urged the woman to make a formal report to the Military Ombud and law-enforcement authorities so that the incident could be investigated.
The Military Ombud is responsible for dealing with complaints involving members of the defence force and can investigate concerns about military conduct.
Gotsell also questioned the balance between soldiers and police officers during joint patrols.
He said Parliament had been told during a joint SAPS-SANDF briefing on March 27 that there would be two police officers for every soldier taking part in the deployment.
The ratio was important because soldiers are deployed to support the police rather than replace them in ordinary policing functions. The police remain responsible for law-enforcement duties, while soldiers operate under agreed instructions and rules governing their support role.
Gotsell said the Tafelsig video appeared to show a different situation.
“…In these videos there are clearly far more soldiers than police; only two SAPS members are visible,” he said.
The footage alone cannot establish how many personnel were assigned to the operation or whether other police officers were outside the camera’s view. It has nevertheless raised a question that officials will have to answer: whether the deployment on the ground matched the arrangements presented to Parliament.
Operation Prosper Under Scrutiny
Operation Prosper was established as a joint effort involving the SANDF and SAPS in response to severe gang violence in Cape Town communities.
The deployment has placed soldiers in areas where residents face regular shootings, intimidation and other violent crimes. Their presence has been welcomed by some residents who say they feel safer when additional uniformed personnel patrol their neighbourhoods.
But a military deployment in civilian communities also brings strict expectations around discipline, restraint and accountability.
Parliament’s defence and police committees scheduled an oversight visit to Cape Town on August 14 to assess the implementation of Operation Prosper.
The committees planned to examine the living conditions of deployed personnel, operational challenges and cooperation between the SANDF and SAPS.
They were also due to engage with soldiers, commanders, the Mitchells Plain Anti-Gang Unit, the Tactical Response Team and community-policing structures.
The oversight programme included a visit to Mitchells Plain, where members were expected to hear about gang violence, the joint deployment and cooperation between the two services.
The Tafelsig footage has now added conduct and accountability to the issues surrounding the operation.
The public needs to know what rules soldiers are given when dealing with civilians, who supervises them during joint patrols and which body investigates allegations of misconduct.
It also needs to be clear whether a person who believes they were assaulted can report the matter to SAPS, the Military Ombud or both institutions.
Earlier Elsies River Incident
The Tafelsig incident comes about two months after another video involving an SANDF member during a joint operation in Elsies River.
That footage appeared to show a soldier hitting and kicking a woman. The SANDF later confirmed that a formal investigation had been convened to establish the circumstances and determine whether administrative or disciplinary action was warranted.
The two incidents are separate and no conclusion can be drawn from one about the other. However, the appearance of similar footage from two operations has increased calls for clear answers about training, supervision and discipline.
The outcome of the Elsies River investigation has not been made public in the information available for this report.
That has also raised questions about whether the findings of the earlier investigation will be released and whether any lessons were applied to later deployments.
What Happens Next
The Tafelsig video should be preserved as potential evidence. Investigators would need to establish when and where it was recorded, identify the people visible in the footage and obtain the original files rather than relying only on compressed social-media copies.
Statements from the woman, her husband, SAPS members and the soldiers present would be central to any investigation.
The authorities would also need to determine whether the woman suffered injuries and whether medical attention was required. No medical details have been released.
The apparent assault should not be treated as proof of criminal guilt until the facts have been investigated. A video can show conduct but may not capture the entire context of an incident.
That is precisely why an official response is important.
If the soldier acted unlawfully, the public should be told what disciplinary or criminal steps follow. If there is information that changes the apparent account, it should be presented clearly and tested through a proper investigation.
Operation Prosper depends on cooperation between soldiers, police and communities. Residents must be able to report crime without fearing that uniformed personnel will use unnecessary force against them.
The SANDF and SAPS have yet to explain what happened in Tafelsig, whether a case was opened and what action was taken by the officials who were present.
Until those questions are answered, the video will continue to fuel concern about how joint crime operations are being conducted in Cape Town neighbourhoods.
