Lance bombardier Itumeleng Macdonald Moreo was planning to complete the house he was building for his mother and family in Mahikeng upon his return from deployment on the SADC mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“He was building a family home and wanted to take our aunt’s child to college because he saw success and wanted to see all of us have the education we deserved. Education was a priority for him,” his dejected brother Katlego Moreo, told Sunday World at the family home in Extension 39, where neighbours, relatives and friends had gathered to comfort the family.
Men sat in a circle under a tree adjacent to a brown military tent, conversing gently, a sign of the gloom that has befallen the family as they awaited the repatriation of Moreo’s body from Pretoria.
Moreo, 37, was one of 14 South African National Defence Force troops killed in January during the fight between the DRC army and M23 rebels, which claimed thousands of lives.
“The country owes my brother a huge debt because he was part of the peacekeeping mission,” lamented Moreo’s brother Katlego.
The late Moreo, a father of two, loved football.
“I didn’t expect him to join the army. I expected to see him on professional teams because of his on- and off-field discipline.
“The last time we spoke, we were talking about our siblings. He was concerned that we were failing to retain discipleship in the younger generation. He wanted us to create a day where we could sit and teach our younger brothers and sisters about how we grew up. It was after our uncle passed away in December last year.”
He is survived by two children, aged 14 and 5 years old.
“We kept questioning ourselves after seeing what was going on in the DRC, we wanted to know if he was okay but we couldn’t reach him. Until there was a knock on the door at 10 at night on January 28. We opened and saw soldiers who reported that my brother was part of those who were killed.”
“He was incredibly brave, so we must adopt his bravery, heal and accept his passing. He is gone, and we will heal in time, but it will not be easy. God is with us.”
The family still needs to decide on the date and details of the funeral.
President Cyril Ramaphosa handed over the remains of the 14 soldiers on Thursday night after delays in the repatriation.
In Phalaborwa, Limpopo, the Malesa family awaited the return of the body of their loved one, Cpl Matome Justice Malesa, who was set to celebrate his birthday on February 25.
Family spokesperson Mpho Monyela said: “As the family we just want to see our loved one given a dignified funeral.
“We are hopeful that the SANDF will come to the party to give their colleague the kind of funeral he deserves,” Monyela said.
The sister of rifleman Derrick Maluleke, Goodness, said the family could finally breathe a sigh of relief, hoping to bury the fallen serviceman next weekend at Hlaneki village in Giyani.
“We will appreciate any form of assistance from them (SANDF) in terms of the burial.”
Rifleman Calvin Louis Moagi’s uncle, Monageng Moagi, said funeral arrangements were underway, presumably next weekend at Ga-Sekororo.
“We will have to liaise with authorities on this matter. We will do our part as family and SANDF will come on board to bury their colleague the way soldiers are given a send-off.”
SANDF spokesperson, Simphiwe Dlamini said “it will be inappropriate for me to guess what benefits have accrued to these members without proper consultation.
“However, I can assure that they will get all their benefits that accrued to them in full,” he said.
Addressing the bereaved families during the transfer ceremony and memorial service on Thursday night, Ramaphosa said the defence ministry and the leadership of the SANDF had made every effort to repatriate the remains of the fallen troops to their families.
“We are encouraged by the outcomes of last week’s joint summit of the East African Community and Southern African Development Community, which resolved to prioritise a political solution to the crisis in the eastern DRC,” he said.
