‘Slain soldiers were gallant and heroic troops’ – Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa reiterated that the South African soldiers deployed in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for the peacekeeping mission are well-equipped and capable of protecting themselves. 

 

Ramaphosa hailed the soldiers for being gallant and heroic troops during their deployment in Eastern DRC. 

 

Fourteen South African soldiers died during a peacekeeping mission in the Eastern DRC in January. 

 

Ramaphosa was delivering the keynote address during the hand-over ceremony and memorial service of the slain 14 soldiers at the Swartkop Air Force Base in Centurion, Pretoria on Thursday night. 

 

“The South African National Defence Force is capable of defending the people of South Africa. We remain firmly committed to bring peace in our SADC region and in the DRC. We are also defending our own freedom and peace,” said Ramaphosa. 

 

“The Congolese people cry out for protection. The gallant soldiers answered the call to provide the protection. We as South Africans we regard the soldiers as heroes,” said Ramaphosa. 

 

“We are a trusted and reliable country in building and bringing peace. And we have as a country been involved in bringing peace in many countries on the African continent. We intervened in Mozambique when there was an insurgency because our soldiers are capable of bringing intervention,” said Ramaphosa. 

 

The remains of the soldiers arrived on Wednesday at 6.25pm. They arrived on board of a Shaanxi Y-8 cargo plane of the Tanzanian Air Force at the Waterkloof Air Force Base in Tshwane. 

 

The hand-over ceremony was to hand over the remains of the soldiers to their families, who were present at both events.

 

The families were seated inside a white tent with President Cyril Ramaphosa. He was joined by Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga, and members of the SANDF. 

 

Some family members wore blankets over their shoulders, and some of the widows wore black veils over their faces. 

 

Some of the family members were seen seen sobbing, overcome with grief. 

 

The 14 South African soldiers were killed in combat by M23 rebels during a mission to bring peace to the eastern DRC. They were killed between January 23 and 27 2025. 

 

On February 7, their bodies were transported from eastern DRC to the UN Logistics Base in Entebbe, Uganda. They were transported by the UN. 

 

Their bodies arrived in Entebbe on February 8. They were kept there until February 11 for standard pathology procedures. 

 

The slain soldiers are: Staff Sergeant William Eddie Cola, Staff Sergeant Molahlehi Ishmael Molahlehi, Staff Sergeant Shwahlane Theophilus Seepe, Corporal Matome Justice Malesa, Corporal Rinae Nemavhulani, Lance Bombardier Itumeleng Macdonald Moreo, Lance Corporal Tseke Moffat Molapo, Lance Corporal Metse Stansly Raswiswi, Rifleman Sebatane Richard Chokoe, Rifleman Derrick Maluleke, Rifleman Tshidiso Andries Mabele, Rifleman Calvin Louis Moagi, Rifleman Mokete Joseph Mobe and Private Peter Jacobus Strydom.