In his State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that the country is in mourning the death of South African National Defence Force troops who perished in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
He assured the country that the SA flag will fly at half-mast in honour of the deceased soldiers.
This comes after 13 soldiers died during a fierce confrontation with the belligerent Rwandan-backed M23 rebels. They were trying to halt them from advancing to Goma, the capital and the largest city.
Four of the soldiers come from Limpopo, three in the Mopani district and one in Sekhukhune.
Part of a mission in the eastern Congo
“We gather here as our country is mourning the tragic and devastating loss of 14 South African soldiers who were part of a mission to bring peace to the eastern Congo.
“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 or territory or power,” Ramaphosa said.
Meanwhile, Selemela Moagi, the uncle of Calvin Moagi from Ga-Sekororo, said the SANDF has never informed them about the repatriation of their deceased.
Families still in the dark
“These people are economical with the truth. We are in the dark as to when will our son’s body return home. They just made one call last week and that was our last communication,” said Moagi.
Derick Maluleke’s sister, Goodness, said the last communication they had was when they informed them about the passing of Derick.
“We just need closure on this matter. These people are taking us for a ride. Let them tell us when the body of my brother will be repatriated. They are not telling us about the costs implicated,” she said.
The battle in the eastern DRC has uprooted over 2 million people from their homes, exposing thousands around Goma to predation by various militias.
Rwanda and the M23 now control practically all of North Kivu province. And by force of arms, they have forged a new reality in the region.
Mineral-rich region in Congo
The mineral-rich region on the east of the country has been dogged by conflict for more than 30 years, since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Numerous armed groups have competed with the central authorities for power and control of the potential fortune in this vast nation.
The instability has sucked in neighbouring countries to devastating effect. Infamously, in the 1990s two huge conflicts, dubbed Africa’s World Wars, resulted in the deaths of millions of people.
