Opposition parties have expressed sadness at the loss of nine members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga to account.

The SANDF members were killed last week during combat and several others were injured.

They were stationed in the DRC as part of Southern African Development Community and the United Nations peacekeeping deployments and were engaged in intense combat over two days with the M23 rebel group near Goma, the provincial capital of the eastern DRC.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Motshekga to urgently brief Parliament on the “deteriorating and calamitous” situation in the DRC.

“As our hearts go out to their families, we will not rest until we get answers, and we hear a plan from the Minister to safeguard the SA base and personnel on the ground. It is unacceptable that SA soldiers are marched to their deaths, while the President, who ordered the deployment, sit locked in internal party scuffles, fighting internal party battles, at the African National Congress Lekgotla,” said DA spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans Chris Hattingh.

He said it was unacceptable that Motshekga and her generals flew out of Goma in a luxury VIP Falcon jet, leaving behind wounded soldiers with no SANDF air support available for them.

He highlighted that Ramaphosa sent SANDF to combat in eastern DRC with the full knowledge that the troops were “unprepared; that the mission could not be won; and that our fiscus could not afford it”.

LACK OF COMMUNICATION

Hattingh said a report to Members of Parliament in both Houses would help determine how best to withdraw the SANDF from eastern DRC and engage with regional and international partners to seek a solution.

The DA and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) slammed the SANDF’s lack of urgency and respect in informing the public and the families of the loss of the soldiers.

“It is unacceptable that South Africans were forced to rely on foreign sources for news of this devastating loss, as SANDF delayed in releasing critical information. This demonstrates a glaring failure in leadership and crisis communication. President Cyril Ramaphosa, as Commander-in-Chief of the SANDF, and Minister of Defence Angie Motshekga must account for this failure. It is unconscionable that the President remained silent, prioritising his engagement at the World Economic Forum while our nation grieved,” the EFF said.

The party said Motshekga’s “misleading public statements and delayed response” reflected gross incompetence.

The party also wants her immediate resignation.

The EFF reiterated its long-standing warnings that SANDF troops deployed in the DRC were “under-resourced and ill-prepared” to face the dangers posed by the well-equipped M23 rebels.

“…in fact, it is reported that our soldiers had no supplies or ammunition as of Friday, a glaring case of neglect on the part of our government. These deployments appear to serve the interests of multinational corporations exploiting the DRC's mineral wealth rather than prioritising peace or South Africa's sovereignty,” the party pointed out.

The EFF called on the deployment of South African soldiers to the DRC to be withdrawn immediately, further calling for an emergency joint sitting of Parliament to hold Ramaphosa accountable and to urgently present the withdrawal plan for soldiers to return home safely.

DIALOGUE, RECONCILIATION

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) said the situation in the DRC had deteriorated far beyond the initial peace mission for which the country’s troops were deployed.

“What began as a noble attempt to stabilise the region and protect civilians has now escalated into a full-blown civil war, with competing factions plunging the nation further into chaos,” explained MKP national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela.

MKP believes that this conflict is political and cannot be resolved through military means, calling on government to urgently withdraw the South African soldiers from the DRC to prevent further loss of life and to prioritise their safety.

The party called for a political solution through intensified regional diplomacy and engagement with the African Union and the UN, and also wants government to pressure all warring parties in the DRC to return to the negotiating table and work towards a sustainable and inclusive peace agreement.

Ndhlela said South Africa must not be part of the conflict and must not continue to expose soldiers to what the party called an increasingly volatile and unwinnable military confrontation.

“Even worse, our soldiers are not even fully equipped with the necessary hardware to be combat-ready. As South Africans, we honour the sacrifices made by our soldiers in pursuit of peace. However, we must also confront the reality that peace cannot be imposed by force. It is only through dialogue, reconciliation and addressing the root causes of the conflict that the DRC can find lasting stability,” he added.

Meanwhile, Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans Chairperson Dakota Legoete said her committee will use its upcoming engagements with the Department of Defence to ensure that efforts are made to ensure that the SANDF contingent in the DRC is well supported and capacitated.