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AfriForum demands clarity on the alarming allegations that President Cyril Ramaphosa exploited the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for personal and political gain. The accusations suggest that South Africa’s troops were not deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for regional stability or national security, but to protect the financial interests of politically connected elites.

Ramaphosa has publicly framed South Africa’s military intervention in the DRC as an obligation to assist nations that contributed to the country’s liberation struggle. However, this justification appears to be nothing more than a deceptive pretext. Evidence suggests that the SANDF’s presence in the DRC aligns closely with the commercial interests of key ANC benefactors who hold substantial mining concessions in the region.

The organisation submitted a formal request in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to the SANDF in which, among other things, it is asked for the official report that justifies the deployment of the SANDF; details of the costs and funding for this deployment; and why the troops were deployed to a specific region.

Reports indicate that companies linked to a known financial supporter of the ANC, have been acquiring strategic mineral rights in North Kivu province, an area where South African soldiers have been deployed. These companies have also apparently secured lucrative oil and gas prospecting rights in the Great Lakes region, having allegedly contributed millions in election funding to the ANC. This raises serious concerns that the South African government is prioritising private mining interests over the safety and sovereignty of its own military personnel.

“It is unacceptable that South African soldiers should be sent into harm’s way under dubious circumstances that appear to serve elite business interests rather than national security. This is why AfriForum is calling for full disclosure of the motivations behind SANDF’s deployment to the DRC and a comprehensive investigation into the alleged financial and political ties influencing this military operation” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s Chief Spokesperson for Community Safety.

South Africa must not allow its sovereignty to be bartered away for the financial gain of a political elite. It seems that the lives of South African soldiers are being jeopardized for the enrichment of a few powerful individuals. We urge the government to come clean and place the interests of the country first.

Issued by AfriForum