Some members of Parliament’s Defence Portfolio Committee have threatened to press for a commission of inquiry into South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) participation in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where 14 soldiers have died.
This came up during a briefing by the Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga and the Chief of the SANDF, Rudzani Maphanywa in Parliament.
The committee also pressed for information on plans for the evacuation of the wounded soldiers in Goma amid the advance by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.
The briefing comes amid growing calls for the withdrawal of South African soldiers from the volatile region.
Maphanywa says, “The summit held in Zimbabwe (last Friday) resolved to prioritize the repatriation of some Troops injured and deceased. The summit called for the immediate dispatch of ministers and chiefs of defense and groups of contributing countries to the DRC to ensure that the troops are safe and facilitate immediate repatriation of the deceased and the injured.”
Meanwhile, Minister Motshekga has denied that the main reason behind the deployment of the country’s soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo was to protect the business interests of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
There were allegations that President Ramaphosa had some businesses in the DRC.
The Minister says the entire mission of the peacekeeping force in the DRC was based on the mandate of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, SANDF Chief brief parliament:
Return of fallen soldiers’ bodies
General Maphwanya says the deaths of 14 soldiers deployed in the eastern DRC under a peacekeeping mission were not caused by a lack of proper training.
Maphwanya says the soldiers were killed by indirect fire aimed at the Congolese army by the Rwandan forces.
“There had been exchange of fire between DRC and Rwanda. That exchange of fire was said to have been initiated by the forces that had been in the base that is at Goma airport, the FRDC elements. These are not the elements that were deployed outside the base, they were just in the base but they had never utilised that. And when they utilised that multiple rocket launcher toward Rwanda. Rwanda responded.”
The bodies of the fallen soldiers are set to be brought back to the country on Wednesday.
