Members of Parliament have condemned the delay in the repatriation of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The National Assembly hosted an urgent debate themed, “The recent casualties incurred by the SANDF in the Democratic Republic of Congo and their implications for the defence force”, on Monday.
The urgency of the debate comes as 14 South African soldiers deployed to the eastern DRC as a part of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping mission, were killed by the M23 militia group last month. The matter was considered of national importance.
South Africa’s military presence in the DRC has left parliamentarians split, with some in support and those opposing it calling for the withdrawal of troops from the region.
The M23 militia group is believed to be supported by the Rwandan government, which has caused recent tensions between South Africa and Rwanda. The militia group seized the city of Goma in North Kivu province. Around 3000 people have been killed since the capture.
The bodies of the 14 soldiers are expected to be repatriated to South Africa this week.
Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga called the delay in the repatriation disheartening.
“Currently from our reports we are receiving that they are still in Uganda undergoing all the medical processes which we also are pressing very hard to get our deceased. We were hoping that we’d get them by today (Mon) but by the latest we’re told that Thursday they will be here.”
South Africa has participated in at least 23 of missions such as these, since adoption of the foreign policy position under the democratic South Africa- some led by the United Nations, African Union, and SADC.
“We’ve been to Lesotho, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Liberia just to mention a few.”
The soldiers were part of the SANDF contingent deployed as part of both the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC) and The United Nations Organization Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
She said the troops, based in Sake, had come under heavy attack by the rebel group on January 24. In the weeks preceding the attack, fighting in the region had escalated, with M23 rebels engaged in intense combat with the Armed Forces of the DRC. The military base faced heavy shelling followed by a ground attack by M23.
“SAMIDRC stood in defence of Sake for three days, with battling lasting up to nine hours of continuous fighting without any pause,” Motshekga said.
Soldiers were also caught in crossfire and killed on January 27.
She added: “We are working hard to ensure the challenges our members are facing like low supplies of food are being attended to definitely, we do believe that in the next few days, they will be there.”
One of the more pressing issues raised during the debate was the underfunding and budget cuts to the SANDF.
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) Ronald Lamola said the budget and resources for the mission does not just come from the SANDF solely.
Lamola said the mission was also funded by SADC through the SAMIDRC and the United Nations Security Council, adding that it was therefore “devoid of the truth” to state the mission was underfunded.
He said South Africa was present in South Sudan acting in a similar position.
“We have a responsibility and we will not be blackmailed by those who accuse our President or anyone or even the ANC of some kind of economic interests. All our missions have been informed by the UN Charter, by the SADC protocol, by our interests to see peace in the continent and nothing else. It is also our interest to see economic prosperity anywhere in the African continent,” Lamola said.
“According to the UN, we are one of the most receiving countries of migrants in the continent. It is therefore crucial that we play a role to maintain peace, to achieve economic stability in the continent.”
Lamola said an abrupt withdrawal of the forces would further endanger the lives of the soldiers making them vulnerable to ambushes with around 150 armed groups in the region.
EFF President Julius Malema referred to the deployment that began in December 2023 as “reckless” and that it was falsely presented as a peacekeeping effort.
“However, the truth is that our soldiers are not there to maintain peace, they are engaged in direct combat, fighting against highly armed strategically superior M23 rebels who are supported by the reckless president of Rwanda Paul Kagame. Our government has deliberately misled the people.”
He said the deployment cost the government R2.3 billion since it began. Malema criticised the delay in returning the bodies of the fallen soldiers to South Africa.
Controversially, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) president Gayton McKenzie called for conscription to allow young South Africans to fight in the military, and as a means to combat youth unemployment.
Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane called for the withdrawal of the troops from the DRC. “We simply don’t have the fiscal wiggle room to send troops to the DRC.”
During a statement on January 29, 2025, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the fighting came as a result of an escalation by the M23 and Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) engaging the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and attacking SAMIDRC peacekeepers.
SAMIDRC members from other troop-contributing countries namely Malawi and Tanzania were also killed and members of the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) brigade.
