The families of South African soldiers who perished in the ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are impatiently waiting for the repatriation of the bodies of their loved ones.
Thirteen South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers died during a fierce confrontation with the belligerent Rwandan-backed M23 rebels when they were trying to halt them from advancing to Goma, the largest city of eastern DRC.
Other families find themselves on tenterhooks as some of the soldiers are still trapped in the war-torn central African country.
South Africa’s military presence in that part of the DRC is part of both Southern African Development Community and the United Nations’ efforts to bring peace to a region long bedevilled by war.
Out of the 13 soldiers, four are from Limpopo, mainly in the Mopani district.
They are Louis Calvin Moagi, Derick Maluleke, Matome Justice Malesa and Sabati Chokoe, who were full of pomp when they took up arms and jetted off to DRC in a bid to contribute to the promotion of peace and stability in the region’s overall peacekeeping efforts.
Their lifeless bodies will soon be repatriated into the country, where they are expected to be afforded heroes’ funerals.
Family members of the deceased soldiers told Sunday World this week that their loved ones were compatriots who went to war for national pride.
Moagi, who is from Mararaleng village in the Sekororo area, died at a time he was planning to marry his fiancée, Priscilla Ledimo, the mother of his three-year-old daughter, Louisa.
Ledimo was inconsolable when she was informed about the unexpected death of her high school sweetheart.
“I was pondering a bright future with Louis because of the longevity of our relationship. He was such a great guy every woman would love to have as a husband.
“We have a young daughter who is now fatherless because of this war. What am I going to tell her when she grows up and asks where her father is? They are so identical and she will forever remind me of her father.”
Maluleke’s family said they were inundated with questions which the SANDF must answer but so far, all they have received is deafening silence.
His sister, Goodness Maluleke said when she saw a group of men entering their yard in military regalia, she sensed that they had brought bad news.
“I was asking myself anxiously about the wellbeing of my brother the whole week as I was following the developments in DRC. Then last week Friday, some men wearing military regalia arrived with the sad news. The manner in which they delivered the news of my brother’s passing was like a joke. However, moments later, it sunk in that my brother is no more.
“They told me that there was a bomb explosion and Derick was among the casualties. Without giving us more details they left and no one has ever communicated with us [again]. We are in mourning and need closure on this matter,” she said.
Malesa’s family said they were eagerly awaiting his safe return to the country to celebrate his birthday on February 25 but now they are arranging his burial.
Family spokesperson Mpho Monyela said prior to Malesa embarking on the trip for the peacekeeping mission, there was a sense of reluctance in him.
“Malesa was not excited about this deployment. He wasn’t interested in going to DRC as he only applied just two weeks before deadline. It was like he knew that the war was going to have catastrophic consequences. He reluctantly agreed to take up arms to go and fight for peace. Now he leaves behind his wife and three children,” Monyela said.
Originally from Mashishimale village in Phalaborwa, Malesa had served in the defence force since 2005 and had reportedly told people around him that he was tired of being away on military assignments.
SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said preparations for the repatriation was underway without mentioning specific date.
“It will only take place as soon as all processes around preparing the bodies in terms of postmortems have been completed. I would not be able to give a date as to when they will be back home because of the volatile situation in the Congo,” he said.
