THE families of the 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members who died in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were still waiting for the remains of their loved ones late yesterday.
The 14 soldiers died in the eastern part of the DRC last month during an escalation of fighting between rebel group M23 and the Rwanda Defence Force militia against the Armed Forces of the DRC, which led to attacks on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission peacekeepers, of which the SANDF is part.
The deployment has been costly to the SANDF, which has faced significant budget cuts.
Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga has revealed that the DRC deployment is budgeted to cost R2.3 billion.
”Although funds must, out of necessity, be prioritised in accordance with the dynamics of the operational situation in the theatre (the DRC), utilisation is influenced by the stipulated requirement. R828 million is allocated and committed for the human resource allowances for the full complement of 2 900 soldiers; R387m for operating costs (such as rations, water, fuel, oil, and lubricants, consumables, and jamming equipment, to count some); R156m for the landward (SA Army) specialised and critical ammunition and other commodities; R115 million for air capability assets (rotary and fixed wing, aviation fuel and navigation equipment),” the minister said.
Additionally, R40m is for appropriate maritime assets (such as multi-purpose patrol boats and a mobile diver detection system), R74m for required military health support (such as medical consumables, pharmaceuticals, gas masks, chemical, biological and radiation detectors, respirators and related spares), R24m for situational awareness assets by defence intelligence such as unmanned aerial systems (drones) and R665m for helicopter chartering.
Motshekga said the actual expenditure on these can only be known after the deployment.
Despite undertakings by the SANDF top brass earlier this week that the soldiers would be back on Wednesday, there have been delays in repatriating their remains.
”Following delays that were encountered for the movement of the remains of the deceased from the DRC to the United Nations (UN) logistics base in Entebbe, Uganda, the SANDF can confirm that the movement is now under way. The movement is conducted by the UN,” the defence force said.
According to the SANDF, it expected that by yesterday (SATURDAY) afternoon (East African Time), they will arrive in Entebbe and the bodies will be prepared for transportation by air to South Africa, Malawi, and Tanzania.
On Friday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the SANDF was working with the United Nations to bring the fallen soldiers back.
”We’re working fervently, and when we get to Tanzania to have the summit tomorrow (SATURDAY), I’m hoping that we will not only deal with what has happened in the recent past, but we will deal with issues that revolve around a ceasefire and finding a permanent solution to the problems that have docked the DRC for the longest time,” Ramaphosa said.
The president added: “We want our soldiers to come back. We want peace to prevail in that area in the part of our continent, so that the people of DRC can live in peace. And all of us can be in our own countries advancing development of our own people.”
Trade union federation Cosatu this week pleaded with the government to ensure that the SANDF has the resources it requires to fulfil its peacekeeping missions across the continent, including the necessary political support to ensure that often intractable conflicts such as the DRC are resolved at the negotiations table.
During his State of the Nation Address on Thursday, Ramaphosa paid tribute to the 14 soldiers, saying it was a tragic and devastating loss, and that they died alongside soldiers from other Southern African countries, they lost their lives in defence of the fundamental right of the Congolese people to live in peace and security.
”They lost their lives not in the pursuit of resources, territory or power. They lost their lives so that the guns on our continent may be forever silenced,” he had said.
This week, Ramaphosa was forced to fend off allegations that the SANDF was in the DRC to protect business interests of powerful people, including himself and his family.
But Great Lakes special envoy, former Cabinet minister and Ramaphosa’s ex-brother-in-law, Jeff Radebe, said his knowledge and understanding was that the deployment of SANDF troops was decided by the president, the Cabinet, and the National Assembly as provided for in the Constitution.
He told IOL that this arose from the decision of SADC to deploy a peacekeeping force to the eastern DRC comprising troops from Malawi, Tanzania and South Africa.
”It is, therefore, factually incorrect to say our troops were deployed for the personal gains of the president. For clarity, I was not appointed by the president as special envoy to the DRC, but as special envoy to the Great Lakes Region, which comprises more than 10 countries including the DRC,” Radebe said, adding that any reference to family ties is totally misplaced and misleading.