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The Chairperson the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Mr Dakota Legoete, says the cancellation of the committee meeting scheduled to take place on 29 January 2025 was to better facilitate a meeting with the Minister of Defence. The meeting was set up to discuss the deaths of South African soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
 
Currently, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and the Defence Ministry have communicated poorly in the wake of the public outcry about the deaths of the South African soldiers in the DRC. The committee is therefore committed to the need for a proper engagement with the Minister and the SANDF on the matter.
 
Mr Legoete noted, “This type of engagement would not have been possible in the scheduled committee meeting of 29 January, given the unavailability of the Minister, who was attending the Cabinet lekgotla.”
 
In addition, other matters that will influence the content of such an engagement still have to play out over the coming days, notably the upcoming Southern African Development Community meeting, which will strongly influence the situation on the ground. Such factors further influenced the decision to look for a later date to engage with the Minister.
 
He added: “I sincerely and unreservedly apologise to my fellow committee members for the inconvenience caused by the cancellation of the meeting. I assure members of this committee and South Africans that the committee’s focus has not been diverted from its crucial oversight responsibilities.”
 
The committee has formally applied for approval from the House Chairperson to convene a joint meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence on Tuesday, 4 February 2025. This meeting will provide both committees with the opportunity to engage directly with the Minister of Defence and senior military leadership.

Issued by the Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, Dakota Legoete