By Simon Nare
The majority political parties in the National Assembly have called for the immediate withdrawal of South African troops who are on a peacekeeping mission in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
During a debate in Parliament on Monday, MPs argued that the South African National Defence Force was not there for peacekeeping, but rather for all-out war. Some went as far to say that troops were there to protect the business interests of the ANC elites.
The only MPs who came out in support of the SA’s presence in the DRC was ANC, who reminded the House of the country’s history of peacekeeping missions on the continent and the importance of stability in Africa.
International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola said South Africa had the largest number of migrants on the continent. It was important to ensure that the continent was politically stable and economically viable to stop people from flocking into the country.
Lamola argued that the conflict in the eastern DRC predated 1994 and has escalated over the years with several armed groups including the M23 operating in the area. These groups have now morphed into 150 armed groups.
He said it would be irresponsible to withdraw from the conflict and argued for a coordinated approach as resolved by heads of states in a recent summit where they called for a ceasefire.
“Any armed attack and response thereto shall be immediately reported to the African Union Peace and Security Council well as the United Nations Security Council.
“If we are serious about helping to silence the guns, we have no choice but to participate in regional efforts to silence the guns either under the auspices of SADC or AU or even the UN Security Council,” he said.
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga also defended the presence of SA troops in the region, saying the participation in peacekeeping in the DRC went as far as the former president Nelson Mandela.
Motshekga said the national interest for peace and stability was at the centre of the country’s participation. The deployment of troops was authorised by an extraordinary summit of heads of states of SADC.
She said the remains of 14 soldiers who lost their lives were in Uganda undergoing necessary medical procedures. They were expected to be repatriated to country on Thursday.
They would get full military honours.
Motshekga came under fire from some MPs for her “incompetency” and lack of leadership in the department, with DA’s Chris Hattingh calling for her to resign or be fired.
Hattingh, who is also in the Joint Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, denounced the lack of resources afforded the SANDF and alleged that the soldiers were deployed to DRC without a proper strategy.
“But let’s be clear, our soldiers did not die in DRC in defence of the defenceless as the president claimed…. They were thrown into battle, ill equipped, underfunded and without critical support in one of the world’s longest running and brutal conflict,” he said.
Hattingh said President Cyril Ramaphosa and Motshekga should be held responsible for sending the soldiers to the war-torn region unprepared. He said the weaknesses in the SANDF were ignored by the minister and the president.
He added that the country had two choices, to negotiate or go on an all-out offensive. But the reality was that this would require more troops and strategy, which neither SANDF nor SADC has so far demonstrated.
“That leaves one option, follow Malawi’s lead, repatriate our dead, negotiate a passage for our wounded and our weapons and get out,” he said.
EFF leader Julius Malema said the government has misguided the people around the conflict in DRC and the reality was that the country’s troops were fighting an enemy that had better weapons, resources and intelligence.
Malema said the soldiers were left vulnerable in the region as they had not been provided with adequate support such as fighter jets and were in a war they could not win.
He said the coordination of intelligence between SANDF and DRC forces was poor and that led to a fragmented response.
“We must be clear, the deployment of our troops in the DRC is not about achieving peace, it is about sacrificing our soldiers for a war that has no end in sight. [When soldiers die], their bodies are not even repatriated with the dignity they deserve,” he said.
He added that it was unacceptable that the remains of the fallen had not arrived in the country weeks after they had died.
“Our troops must be brought home immediately. We cannot allow more lives to be lost in a senseless conflict while corrupt politicians continue to loot and mismanage our defence resources,” he said.
INSIDE POLITICS
