The SA National Defence Union (SANDU) has disputed assertions that members of the SA National Defence Force in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are being held hostage by M23 rebels.
IOL reported on Monday that Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has strongly criticised South Africa’s military preparedness, calling it a national embarrassment and urging the government to withdraw its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Malema was speaking on Sunday at the St. Paul African Apostolic Church’s Thanksgiving Feast, where he condemned the state of the SANDF, arguing that soldiers were being sent into conflict zones without the necessary arms, intelligence, and logistical support.
Following the deaths of 14 SANDF members, Malema said the logical step should have been to bring the soldiers home.
Instead, he said, 800 more troops were deployed. He went on to claim that remaining SANDF soldiers in the DRC were now effectively being held hostage by the M23 rebel group.
“For them to go to the toilet, they must get permission from M23. For them to get water, they must ask M23,” he said.
Malema called for the immediate withdrawal of South African troops and urged the government to invest in the country’s military before engaging in foreign interventions.
However, on Monday, SANDU chief negotiator Jeff Dubazana told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that there was no truth to the claims that SANDF are being held hostage.
"No, they are not being held hostage. They are simply in their bases. What happened is that there was a negotiation around a ceasefire. Remember on 22 and 23 January they (rebels) tried to run over our base at Sake. We heavily dealt with them where we lost nine of our gallant soldiers. Now they know it is not easy to go over to Sake and attack our soldiers there," said Dubazana.
"Our soldiers as we speak now, they are relatively safe even though in a war situation, no one can say anyone is safe. We are simply saying they are safe because our soldiers they are prepared for whatever eventuality that may arise."
He insisted that the SANDF members are confined to their bases and if any of them goes out of the camps, "anything could happen to the resumption of fighting".
Dubazana said the SANDF members are not marshalled by the M23 rebels but are staying in their camps to respect the ceasefire agreement reached.
On Sunday, IOL reported that SANDF soldiers deployed in DRC will not be recalled, despite growing calls for the peacekeeping mission to be abandoned.
The calls have intensified following the deaths of the 14 SANDF members during fighting between M23 rebels against the Armed Forces of DRC, which led to attacks on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission peacekeepers.
A few weeks before the SANDF members were killed in the DRC, President Cyril Ramaphosa informed National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza and National Council of Provinces (NCOP) Chairperson Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane he had extended the deployment of the SANDF to the DRC as part of fulfilling the country’s international obligations.
"This serves to inform the NCOP that I have authorised the extension of 2 900 members of the SANDF for service in fulfilment of an international obligation of the Republic of South Africa towards the SADC under Operation THIBA in order to support and assist the government of the DRC in its efforts to neutralise illegal armed groups and negative forces in the conflict-affected areas of the DRC, thereby ultimately restoring peace and security,” Ramaphosa explained.
The deployment under Operation THIBA started on December 16, 2024, until December 15 this year and is estimated to cost nearly R2.4 billion.
Another 1 178 SANDF personnel have been deployed to the DRC from December 21, 2024, until January 31 next year towards the United Nations (UN) Organisation Stabilisation Mission as part of Operation MISTRAL, which is budgeted to cost almost R817 million.
IOL