The death of a peace-loving soldier has left the close-knit community of Marareleng in the Sekororo area of Limpopo shell-shocked.
Louis Moagi (28) was one of the nine members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) who perished in the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last week.
For his family, it has been worryingly long since he stopped communicating via WhatsApp as he would usually do.
Louis’s mother, Molobedu Moagi, said when she learnt that her son was deployed in the battle-weary country, she was anxious.
When a representative from the Hoedspruit defence force landed on the family’s doorstep on Saturday night, Molobedu said she sensed bad news.
“I was worried sick when he stopped communicating with us and his sudden absence from social media,” said the distraught mother.
“I am a person who follows the news, and when I realised the intensity of the war in that country, my anxiety escalated.”
The devastated mother said that the family is now on the brink of destitute because Louis was the sole breadwinner.
“We were dependent on him financially, and with him gone, life is going to be difficult. He leaves behind a young child who is going to grow without knowing her father.”
Patriotic and peace-loving person
Louis leaves behind his fiancée, Pricilla Ledimo, and their three-year-old daughter, Louisa.
Louis and Pricilla’s planned nuptials were shuttered through the barrel of a gun.
Louis, the firstborn in the family of three, including twins, was raised by a single mother.
In the family, there is an old diary in which Louis outlined his future plans, among them his desire to become a police officer or a soldier.
He kept himself in shape by playing football for the local team and mountain climbing because he recognised the seriousness of these two professions.
Selemela Moagi, Louis’s maternal great uncle, told Sunday World earlier this week that the death has left many people grieving because the fallen soldier was adored by the villagers and looked up to him.
Selemela described his great-nephew as a peace-loving person and a family unifier.
“Of all the youngsters in our family, Louis was the brightest. He was focused and always knew what he wanted,” he said.
“From his childhood, he showed maturity. He had the best interest of his family at heart.”
Selemela claims that because of his patriotism and preference for peace, Louis has always aspired to serve in the military.
Enlisted by the military in 2018
However, after matriculating at Makgwahleng Secondary School in 2016, he went to Seshego, a township outside Polokwane, where he enrolled for a course in electrical engineering at a private institution.
When he was enlisted by the defence force in 2018 and travelled to Cape Town for his military training, his dream of becoming a soldier came true.
He was sent to Mozambique for a peacekeeping assignment after finishing his training.
Known for his calm demeanour and humility, members of the community nicknamed him “moruti” (a man of God).
With his sense of humour, wherever he was, he kept everyone in stitches, laughing their lungs out.
A sportsman to the core, his love for Orlando Pirates is validated by the Buccaneers’ insignia and an array of Sea Robbers regalia in his bedroom.
Every time he was on holidays, he would go on a hunting expedition and luckily return with a warthog or an impala.
Louis’s multidimensional lifestyle came to an abrupt end at the workplace he had always wanted to be.
Readiness for deployment
He was part of the Southern African Development Community Mission and the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission.
In the aftermath of the devastating deaths of the combatants, chairperson of the joint standing committee on defence, Malusi Gigaba, raised concerns regarding the readiness of the mission for deployment.
“While the committee acknowledges the gallant resistance by our forces, the loss of nine members of the SANDF is serious and requires investigation to prevent recurrence,” said Gigaba.
“Some of the issues that must be looked into include combat preparedness, defence intelligence capabilities, and specifically the availability of combat support equipment, including air support and ammunition.”
