South Africa’s National Treasury has allocated R848.2 billion over the medium term to combat crime and protect territorial integrity, with specific funds directed at the police, the army, and the justice system as part of the government’s push to tackle illegal mining and organised crime.
Key points
- Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the allocation on 25 February 2026 during the budget presentation in Parliament, framing it as part of a broader commitment to building a capable, ethical, and developmental state
- Spending on peace and security rises from R268.2 billion in 2025/26 to R291.2 billion in 2028/29
- R1 billion has been allocated to the South African Police Service and a further R1 billion to the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) through the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA) fund, specifically for the fight against organised crime
- R2.7 billion has been added to the Defence budget over the medium term to improve operations, including maintaining the South African Air Force’s fighter capability
- The Border Management Authority receives an additional R990 million to build capacity by filling 738 positions
- R687 million has been allocated to increase capacity in the judiciary, alongside R883.8 million shifted from the Department of Justice to the Office of the Chief Justice to strengthen its independence from the executive from 1 April 2026
- Funding for specialised courts announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa will be considered later in the year once costs are finalised
Context
The security budget expansion follows President Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address commitment to deploy the SANDF alongside the South African Police Service to combat illegal mining (zama zamas) and gang violence, which have escalated significantly in recent years. Illegal mining operations, particularly in abandoned gold mines around Johannesburg, have become a major organised crime challenge involving armed syndicates, human trafficking, and significant economic losses. The CARA fund, which channels money seized from convicted criminals back into law enforcement, is increasingly being used as a supplementary financing mechanism for targeted operations rather than relying solely on the general fiscus. The judiciary funding reflects a separate but related pressure: court backlogs have been identified as a key weakness in the criminal justice chain, with prosecutions often delayed for years.
Why it matters
For investors and businesses operating in South Africa, the security allocation signals a government taking crime seriously as an economic issue rather than purely a social one. Illegal mining alone costs the country billions in lost mineral revenue annually, and persistent gang violence depresses economic activity in affected urban corridors. The combination of operational funding for police and the SANDF, border management capacity, and judicial strengthening represents a more integrated approach to law enforcement than previous budgets. Whether the money translates into measurable improvements in safety statistics will be a key test of the government of national unity’s delivery capacity over the next three years.
Source: BusinessTech
