The Forum for South Africa (FOSA) has criticised the government’s planned R600 million security deployment in four provinces, describing the move as a possible misuse of public funds and calling for a full parliamentary investigation into the expenditure.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, FOSA national leader Tebogo Mashilompane questioned the justification for the allocation announced by Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, saying South Africans deserved to know exactly how the money would be spent.
The deployment, which involves police and military personnel in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape, comes amid heightened tensions over crime, illegal immigration and public protests in parts of the country.
However, FOSA said the announcement raised more questions than answers.
The organisation demanded a detailed breakdown of the R600 million budget, including information on how the amount was calculated, which companies and contractors would benefit from the spending and what safeguards were in place to prevent corruption.
“South Africans have seen this script before – large sums of money announced in the name of a crisis, only for questions to emerge later about how the funds were used,” Mashilompane said.
He argued that the government had failed over several years to adequately address issues such as border security, illegal immigration and violent crime, and was now attempting to present the costly deployment as decisive action.
According to FOSA, communities across the country have increasingly voiced frustration over crime levels and what they perceive as inadequate enforcement of immigration and border control laws.
The organisation accused the government of responding only after public pressure mounted, rather than implementing long-term solutions to address the underlying causes of insecurity.
FOSA also questioned the decision to deploy both the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), arguing that the involvement of multiple security structures could lead to duplication of functions and unnecessary expenditure.
The group said the government should explain why both agencies were required and provide assurances that taxpayer money would not be wasted through overlapping responsibilities.
“This appears less like a carefully planned security strategy and more like a rushed intervention designed to create the impression that government is taking control of the situation,” Mashilompane said.
The criticism comes as authorities intensify efforts to maintain law and order in several provinces following growing concerns about criminal activity and public unrest.
Government has maintained that the deployment is necessary to strengthen security operations, support police capacity and ensure stability in areas identified as high risk.
While FOSA acknowledged the importance of protecting communities and combating crime, it argued that transparency was essential whenever large amounts of public money were allocated for emergency or special interventions.
The organisation called for Parliament to scrutinise the expenditure and ensure that proper oversight mechanisms are in place.
Among its demands, FOSA wants an itemised account of the full R600 million allocation, independent audits to monitor spending and accountability measures to ensure that any misuse of funds is identified and prosecuted.
The group warned that South Africans had become increasingly sceptical of major government spending announcements because of the country’s history of corruption scandals involving public funds.
Mashilompane said citizens would not accept what he described as “corruption disguised as intervention” and urged authorities to immediately release details of the deployment budget.
“If government has nothing to hide, it must open the books and allow the public to see exactly how this money will be spent,” he said.
FOSA said it would continue to monitor developments and press for transparency, insisting that public safety initiatives must be accompanied by strong accountability measures to ensure that taxpayer money is used for its intended purpose.
The organisation maintained that security operations should focus on delivering results for communities rather than becoming opportunities for wasteful expenditure or political grandstanding.
