Opposition political parties continue calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the nation and break the ‘deafening silence’ since the deaths of 13 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers over the last week in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province.
The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) on Tuesday said it is “deeply concerned” about the life-threatening situation facing South African troops in the DRC after the 13 fell in battle, with many more being wounded.
“According to reports, our troops in Goma are surrounded and unable to seek treatment for their wounded, or receive supplies and reinforcements. This after the airport in Goma was taken by the M23 rebels….The ACDP calls on President Ramaphosa as the Commander-in-Chief of the South African Defence Force to urgently address the nation on the escalating crisis in Goma and the well-being of our troops. We note that President Ramaphosa has called Rwandan President Paul Kagama regarding the urgent need for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks by all parties to the conflict and expect him to brief the nation on these developments,” the ACDP said in a statement.
“We also require the Minister of Defence Angie Motshekga, and the leadership of the SANDF to urgently account to Parliament on the tragic loss of our soldiers’ lives. We also need to be briefed on the safety of our troops and plans to relieve them and to evacuate our wounded. The Minister’s deafening silence on this crisis and the well-being of our troops is deeply alarming and must add to the anxiety of the families whose loved ones are deployed in Goma. She has shown that she is ill-equipped for this position and should be replaced.”
The ACDP said the deaths also highlight the consequences of inadequate resources and support for deployed troops to carry out their duties and return home safely. “The South African National Defence Union and other military experts had previously stated that there is a dire need for improved air support, medical facilities, logistical capabilities, and combat support, including crucial radar defence systems for our troops in the DRC. Force multipliers such as artillery, attack helicopters, drones and heavy mortars are also required to support the soldiers on the ground. These were sadly lacking and contributed to the tragic loss of lives in battle.”
The ACDP has repeatedly stated that the defence budget is insufficient for the SANDF to fulfil its mandate, and South Africa shouldn’t deploy its troops in peacekeeping roles without the necessary resources. During last year’s Defence Budget vote the ACDP stated that, “it is time for decisive action to ensure that our troops are equipped with the tools they need to succeed and survive in their mission in the DRC or bring them home.”
“While we appreciate that an additional R2 billion was allocated to the defence department in last year’s Medium Term Budget Policy Statement for the DRC deployment, despite this additional funding, our soldiers are still dying in battle. It is clear that not enough is being done to equip and protect our soldiers in the DRC and more needs to be done,” the party concluded.
Ramaphosa has entered SA into a ‘diplomatic crisis’
Chris Hattingh – Democratic Alliance Spokesperson on Defence & Military Veterans – on Tuesday also called on Ramaphosa to address the nation immediately. “Since the recent deaths of yet more troops, SANDF Commander in Chief, President Cyril Ramaphosa, has yet to address the nation to provide comfort to families grieving and assure South Africans of the safety of our Defence Force. With the conflict now before the UN Security Council, Mr Ramaphosa has also entered South Africa into a diplomatic crisis.
“The President has failed to provide leadership in an operation he authorised. Instead, more bodies are returning home and more taxpayer funds gone. The deafening silence from the President and Minister of Defence & Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, shows a lack of compassion and deliberate withholding of information,” Hattingh stated.
He said the President’s tenure as Commander-in-Chief has only seen the rapid decline of South Africa’s defence capabilities.
“The DA wishes to honour and commend the unwavering courage and dedication of our soldiers, who have demonstrated extraordinary bravery and the indomitable spirit for which South African troops are renowned, despite the lack of essential support,” Hattingh added.
South Africans ‘kept in the dark’ about DRC deployment
Build One South Africa (BOSA) joined the chorus of parties demanding Ramaphosa address the nation, saying on Tuesday that, “this matter requires a ‘family meeting’ to take citizens into his confidence. The President must tell us what is really going on in the DRC and why South African lives are being lost.”
BOSA said that for too long, South Africans have been kept in the dark about the true motives and implications of the South African military’s involvement in the DRC.
“Is our involvement in the DRC a selfless mission for regional peace, or are we entangled in a dangerous geopolitical game driven by resource exploitation and private interests? It can only be national interests that require military power to be deployed to another country,” said Roger Solomons, BOSA Acting Spokesperson.
South Africans cannot afford to see more lives lost without clarity and accountability, the party said, and called on the President to provide a full and transparent account of SANDF operations in the DRC, including the strategic objectives, risks, and expected outcomes; disclose the nature of agreements, if any, between South Africa, the DRC, and other international players regarding resource extraction in the region; reveal whether soldiers deployed to the DRC have been adequately resourced; and ensure adequate support for the families of fallen soldiers, including counselling and financial assistance.
“We cannot continue sacrificing our citizens’ lives without a clear, honest, and justifiable cause. It is time for President Ramaphosa to lead with transparency and integrity on this critical issue. We will not rest until we have the answers that the families of our soldiers and the South African public deserve,” Solomons concluded.
SANDF has ‘insufficient military resources’ for combat
Brett Herron, Secretary General of the GOOD Party, on Tuesday echoed the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in vigorously condemning the offensive on the North Kivu regional capital of Goma by the M23 rebels and the support given to them by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).
“While the Minister of Defence, Angie Motshekga, had a previously arranged trip to assess the welfare and operational conditions of the deployments, this trip only further contributed to the unstable situation. Troops in combat should be focused on the job at hand, not providing safety and security to non-military personnel,” he said in a statement.
The GOOD Party echoed calls by various political parties for an urgent briefing on the dire situation in the North Kivu region amid a threat of full-scale war considering the role of Rwanda in supporting the M23 and the reports of RDF soldiers crossing into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The SANDF cannot continue to operate in combat without sufficient military resources, with ammunition running out and little to no air support. The state of defence funding requires that significantly more resources be spent, coupled with increased transparency by the Ministry and SANDF, or operations be scaled back. Sending well-trained soldiers to die without sufficient support is a travesty,” Herron stated.
He said that all state parties to the conflict in the Great Lakes region must be forced back to the negotiation table to allow the Luanda Peace Process to run its course in search of a genuine cessation to hostilities. “In addition, we call for the immediate increase in capacity for the peacekeeping forces or their withdrawal from the combat zone until such time as this capacity is secured.”
‘Failure of political leadership’
Nontando Nolutshungu, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) National Chairperson and Parliamentary Chief Whip, on Tuesday accused the government of failing to provide the necessary political leadership, and demonstrating gross incompetence as well as neglect of its duty to ensure the safety and well-being of South African troops.
“These failures have resulted in a dire situation that demands urgent and decisive intervention. The EFF, therefore, writes to the Speaker of the National Assembly in terms of Rule 130(1) of the Rules of the National Assembly to request that the Speaker urgently schedule a matter of national public importance for discussion by the House. This matter is urgent as the lives of SANDF soldiers remain under grave threat, and the government has failed to provide credible updates or demonstrate adequate contingency measures for such a challenging mission,” Nolutshungu said in a letter to Thoko Didiza, National Assembly Speaker.
“Furthermore, in terms of Rule 130(3)(b), we request the Speaker to convene a special sitting of the National Assembly, as the House is currently not programmed to meet before the opening of Parliament scheduled to meeting after the opening of Parliament. Parliament cannot remain idle while lives are at risk and the executive fails to fulfil its constitutional obligations. Such inaction would amount to a dereliction of Parliament’s duty to hold the executive accountable in times of crisis.
“We, therefore, call on the Speaker to schedule an urgent sitting of the National Assembly to discuss this critical matter of national importance and ensure that Parliament exercises its oversight role in safeguarding the lives of our soldiers and addressing the failures of government leadership in this matter,” Nolutshungu wrote.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has long maintained that the SANDF lacks the capacity to participate in military operations due to the collapse of its defence capabilities, caused by poor political leadership and relentless budget cuts.
“Reports have surfaced indicating that our soldiers were ill-equipped, with inadequate supplies and ammunition. The continued deployment of SANDF soldiers in the DRC, despite glaring deficiencies in resources and preparedness, appears to prioritize the interests of multinational corporations exploiting the DRC’s mineral wealth, with the lives of South African soldiers sacrificed in the pursuit of profit,” the EFF said.
ANC offers condolences
The African National Congress (ANC), meanwhile, extended its deepest condolences to the families of the SANDF soldiers who lost their lives in the DRC. On Tuesday, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said, “these brave men and women paid the ultimate price in their service to peace and security on the African continent. The ANC salutes their courage, dedication, and sacrifice in the fight for peace and stability. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families during this difficult time, and we wish a swift recovery to those injured in the attack. As a nation, we stand together in support of the SANDF and the families who have lost loved ones in this tragic incident.”
In line with UN and African Union resolutions and protocols on peacekeeping, the ANC called on the UN Security Council to act on the attacks against UN peace keepers, and the violation of the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity enshrined in the UN Charter.