Johnathan Paoli
THE South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has denied recent reports suggesting that two South African soldiers deployed as part of the SADC Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo surrendered to M23 rebels.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, SANDF Head of Communications Siphiwe Dlamini said all SANDF members deployed in the DRC have been accounted for.
“The convoluted article published by the faceless Washington correspondent is dismissed with the contempt it deserves. This is not the first time such unfounded and baseless news articles have been written about the SANDF since its deployment in the DRC,” Dlamini said.
Dlamini said the SANDF viewed such attempts to discredit the defence force in the most serious light by faceless people, and will not stand by and allow its good name to be tarnished.
He highlighted the fact that the SANDF as the authority for the deployed members shall at all times inform the South African public about the situation and safety of its members in the DRC.
This follows a report by the American-based National Security News, which claims that several South African soldiers that were deployed by the ANC Government into the region as part of an ill-equipped and ill-prepared force reportedly surrendered to the M23 rebels and were being held hostage.
However, the DA has written to the Chairpersons of the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, requesting that urging the re-convention of the Committee to consider troubling reports over the operational crisis currently unfolding in the deployment.
DA Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Kobus Marais said that his party was against the deployment from the start, especially considering the reckless deployment without adequate support and the reality is that the country’s defence force was unable to meet the requirement of foreign deployment because of its deteriorated state of combat readiness.
“SANDF’s DRC deployments, as part of the SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), are said to be operating at severe operational risk due to dire conditions which include a lack of field kitchens, no doctors or nurses to deal with emergencies, no refrigerated cargo containers, lack of ablution facilities and no money to pay for supplies. Only 6 toilets are reportedly available for a contingent of 600 soldiers,” Marais said.
Marais said that in light of the adverse Audit Committee report on the high risk profile of the SANDF, the ANC-led government had broken the country’s defense force and required systemic challenges to be addressed.
The EFF has criticised the deployment, with party spokesperson Sinawo Thambo saying it was a sign of the alarming state of affairs of the country’s military.
“These brave soldiers are forced to operate under precarious conditions, devoid of basic necessities such as field kitchens and essential medical personnel. The absence of cargo planes to transport equipment further exacerbates the challenges faced by our troops, rendering them ill-equipped and vulnerable in critical situations,” Thambo said.
ActionSA has called on the ruling party, with party leader Herman Mashaba saying that President Cyril Ramaphosa and Defence Minister Thandi Modise held a duty to inform South Africans about plans to keep the country’s soldiers safe.
“It has become quite clear that the SANDF does not have the sufficient manpower capacity and the necessary prime mission equipment, as the recent news reports that are highlighting the appalling living and working conditions, let alone the lack of necessary mission equipment including land and air support element, they are failing to provide simple and hygienic living and working conditions as reported in the news recently,” Mashaba said.
The false reports were also dismissed by the President, who assured South Africans that the SANDF troops are fully equipped to handle conflicts earlier this year.
“Yes, we have the military hardware to engage in military operations such as those we’re finding in the eastern DRC. South Africa has over many years participated in peacekeeping missions in various parts of our continent,” Ramaphosa said.
This comes on the heels of the deployment of at least 2 900 SANDF soldiers last month to provide support in combating illicit armed factions in eastern DRC.
Ramaphosa previously confirmed the deployment was to fulfil the country’s obligation towards the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission to the region.
Currently, two soldiers have lost their lives, while three more sustained severe injuries after a mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African Contingent’s military bases.
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