The remains of 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have finally arrived home aboard a Tanzanian military aircraft, sparking fierce parliamentary debate about South Africa’s military readiness.
The soldiers, killed in clashes with M23 rebels near Goma in North Kivu province between 23-27 January, were repatriated after multiple delays including medical processing in Uganda. Their arrival has intensified criticism of South Africa’s military capabilities and deployment conditions.
DA parliamentarian Christian Hattingh led criticism in the debate, stating: “Our soldiers didn’t die in defence of the defenceless, as claimed by the President. They were part of a not-well-planned peace-keeping mission. They were thrown into battle ill-equipped, underfunded.”
The handover ceremony at Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing in Centurion was controversially rescheduled from Thursday morning to evening due to “unavoidable parliamentary commitments” related to the State of the Nation Address debate.
It was held at 18:00, followed by a memorial service at 19:00 as families gather to mourn with the nation.
African Defence Review Director Darren Olivier called the rescheduling “an insult to the families, a middle finger to the TV and radio stations who made plans for the live broadcast, and yet another broken promise in a series of poorly communicated delays.”
EFF leader Julius Malema during the parliamentary debate called for the withdrawal of “all our soldiers from the DRC “.
“While these rebels had advance weaponry, our soldiers were sent there without drones, fighter jets and critical military assets,” he said.
“Our soldiers were left vulnerable because of the failures of this government.”
“The EFF reiterates our call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to now ensure that all our wounded soldiers, who are still in the DRC, are expeditiously returned to South Africa for full and adequate medical care. Their return must be followed by the withdrawal of all our soldiers from the DRC, as a matter of urgency.”
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga defended the deployment, emphasising South Africa’s regional commitments: “Since 1994, we adopted a foreign policy that seeks to contribute to peace and stability on the continent. To date, we have participated in 23 missions with UN, AU and SADC in various African countries.”
South Africa maintains over 2,000 troops in the DR Congo, serving with both the UN mission Monusco and the Southern African Development Community Mission (SAMIDRC).
Tags: SANDF casualties, DR Congo conflict, military repatriation, South African parliament, M23 rebels, African peacekeeping, military controversy, defence policy, military capabilities, Tanzanian assistance
