All cabinet members to urgently debate the ongoing DRC conflict as pressure mounts on the government to explain the circumstances surrounding the loss of South African troops. Image: eNCA.
(The Post News)– The National Assembly is set to urgently debate today the killing of 14 members of the SANDF in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The special sitting, summoned on the basis of national importance, will be held under the theme “The recent casualties incurred by the SANDF in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and their implications for the defence force.”
Cabinet members have all been called to the debate, while the government is under pressure to explain the circumstances surrounding the loss of South African troops. President Cyril Ramaphosa has also instructed that the national flag fly at half-mast until Friday, 14 February, in respect of the fallen soldiers.
The 14 SANDF members were deployed as part of the peacekeeping mission in eastern DRC, which also included soldiers from other Southern African nations, but their killing in Goma in January put a question mark on the so-called mission for peace as the South African Forces have been speculated to have involved themselves in something much bigger, outside of pure peacekeeping duties.
Opposition parties, led by the Democratic Alliance, berated the government’s handling of the deployment, accusing the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, of “blatant incompetence” and a “lack of care” regarding the safety of SANDF personnel. The DA further questioned the complete silence of President Ramaphosa in the wake of this tragedy and said he needed to come clear on what the deployment was based on.
The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence requested an inquiry into the facts leading to the soldiers’ deaths. A closed meeting has been requested to give an opportunity to SANDF officials to elaborate on more operational intelligence and military preparedness generally.
During a JSCD meeting on 4 February, the minister struggled to give specific answers about the mission’s objectives and the level of support given to troops deployed. While she insisted that the SANDF forces were well equipped, opposition MPs disputed this assertion, referring to reports of a lack of resources and strategic mismanagement.
Further scrutiny at a follow-up JSCD meeting on 7 February saw calls for greater transparency intensify. The DA has since demanded an immediate withdrawal of SANDF forces to prevent further casualties. However, the party claims that ANC-appointed JSCD co-chairpersons have hindered oversight efforts, shielding the president and minister from accountability.
While today’s debate will give MPs an opportunity to press the government for answers, Parliament has yet to decide on further steps either to mark the deaths of the soldiers or to address the public’s growing unease over further deployments. The discussion is expected to be heated, with opposition parties pushing for full disclosure and the ruling party defending its military strategy.
With public outcry growing, many will be closely watching to see whether the government will take decisive action or whether the opposition and military families will be left stranded in the cold.
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