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The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans has welcomed confirmation from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) that all the injured soldiers have been evacuated from Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Dakota Legoete, said the soldiers were heroes who withstood challenging circumstances in the face of much trouble and assault.
“It gives us pride to have our heroes returned to our country safest. The first point of call should be to get them the most necessary medical attention while protecting their privacy,” said Mr Legoete.
He added: “We therefore call on media personnel to respect boundaries and allow the injured to heal without the hustle and the glare of the media. These are people who sacrificed all and suffered so much for their sacrifice. Not many people can sacrifice as these heroes have in defence of a stable and secure Africa and a stable Congo.”
South Africa’s soldiers are part of the Southern African Development Community mission to the DRC in Goma, where they were recently ambushed by M23 rebels, which has regrouped since 2023 and is fighting against DRC forces.
Mr Legoete said South Africans must accept debate around concerns in the army and that we should all seek to resolve those. “But in equal measure those in the army should raise their voices if they so wish using communication channels that are there. We want a solid defence force whose competence is not a subject to doubt by pedestrians.”
Mr Legoete called on South Africans not to place reliance on social media information peddlers about happenings in DRC and the type of injuries soldiers have suffered. They should rather rely on the proper information provided by SANDF communication.
Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Dakota Legoete
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