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IOL News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Defence Minister Motshekga under scrutiny for SANDF withdrawal chaos
Defence and Military Veterans of South Africa Minister Angie Motshekga to be scrutinised over SANDF's disorganised exit from DRC peacekeeping mission Image: IOL/Independent Newspapers The Democratic Alliance (DA) has unveiled its intention to scrutinise Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga over what it characterises as a 'chaotic and poorly planned' withdrawal of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In a statement issued on Wednesday, DA Defence & Military Veterans Spokesperson Chris Hattingh stated that the party will raise these concerns during the upcoming parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Defence, which is scheduled for May 9. On Wednesday, South African military contingents began preparations to withdraw from the DRC following the signing of a landmark peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda. As the lead nation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) peacekeeping mission in the DRC, South Africa has played a pivotal role in efforts to restore peace amid ongoing conflict. However, the DA has raised serious concerns about the manner of the SANDF's withdrawal, describing it as "chaotic and poorly coordinated." The party notes that Parliament and the public have been kept in the dark about this mission's conclusion. Disorganised Exit Raises Alarm The DA said it intends to use the upcoming committee meeting to question Minister Motshekga about the deployment and withdrawal of SANDF troops. 'Poor planning, vague objectives, and a disturbing lack of transparency have marred the withdrawal of South African troops from eastern DRC. 'What should have been a coordinated and strategic exit has instead become a confused and dangerous process—risking the safety of our soldiers and raising more questions than answers,' Hattingh said. The SADC Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), which SADC officially terminated in March, is now withdrawing from strategic areas such as Goma and Sake—regions where South African forces remained after deadly clashes in January. Lack of Transparency and On-the-Ground Reports The DA raised concerns about a lack of transparency, stating that, to date, Parliament has received no official briefing on the withdrawal, and public awareness remains limited. The party said there are reports that SANDF troops and Tanzanian and Malawian forces are withdrawing via Rwanda to Tanzania. 'Alarmingly, accounts suggest that M23 rebels—widely believed to be backed by Rwanda—are inspecting military equipment as convoys pass through. 'Members of the elite Quick Reaction Force (QRF) have described the experience as "frustrating and humiliating." Furthermore, the party said there has been no official communication from the Department of Defence, SANDF, or SADC regarding the withdrawal process. 'It has emerged that safe passage for South African troops was negotiated with Rwanda after M23 seized control of key infrastructure, leaving many soldiers uncertain about their safety. 'Soldiers also continue to report logistical failures, poor communication, and concerns over the status of military vehicles and heavy weaponry.' Hattingh highlighted that the situation is exacerbated by the loss of 14 South African soldiers during the Battle for Goma in January. Questions for Minister Motshekga During the May committee meeting, Hattingh said his party plans to pose several urgent questions to Minister Motshekga, including:
Reuters
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
South Africa's military reinforces beleaguered Congo mission
Summary Fourteen South African soldiers have died in fighting Pretoria has deployed 700-800 additional troops to Congo Deployment comes amid fears of regional war JOHANNESBURG, Feb 10 (Reuters) - South Africa has sent additional troops and military equipment to Democratic Republic of Congo in recent days, political and diplomatic sources said, after 14 of its soldiers were killed in fighting with Rwanda-backed rebels last month. The South African reinforcement comes amid fears that fighting in eastern Congo could spark a broader war in a powderkeg region that has over the past three decades witnessed genocide, cross-border conflicts and dozens of uprisings. Flight data reviewed by Reuters showed transport aircraft flying from South Africa to Lubumbashi, in southern Congo. An airport employee there confirmed that military planes had landed last week. "We have been informed of a (South African National Defence Force) troop build-up in the area of Lubumbashi. We gather that approximately 700-800 soldiers had been flown to Lubumbashi," Chris Hattingh, a South African lawmaker, wrote in a text message to Reuters. Hattingh, the defence spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance, a member of the governing coalition, said it was "difficult to figure out what is exactly unfolding" because parliament's defence committee had not been briefed. The SANDF spokesperson said on Friday he was not aware of the deployment to Lubumbashi and declined to comment further on Monday. A Congolese army spokesperson said he could not confirm or deny the deployment. Lubumbashi is about 1,500 km (930 miles) south of Goma, the eastern city on Rwanda's border that the M23 rebels seized last month during an offensive that has killed over 2,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands. South Africa is believed to have around 3,000 troops deployed in Congo, both as part of a U.N. peacekeeping mission and a Southern African regional force tasked with helping Congo's army combat the M23 insurgency. 'NOT OUR WAR' Its intervention has drawn heavy criticism at home after the fall of Goma left South African soldiers surrounded and with no clear exit strategy. "They're extremely poorly resourced and equipped," said Kobus Marais, who served as the DA's shadow defence minister before the party entered a governing coalition last year. "This is not our war." Marais, now a defence analyst who said he was being kept abreast of the situation, said the flights to Lubumbashi carried medicine, ammunition and consumables. The additional troops were to assist in the case of further clashes and as a deterrent as negotiations to end the fighting get underway. An IL-76 cargo plane with the tail number EX-76008 made five round-trip flights from Pretoria to Lubumbashi between January 30 and February 7, according to flight tracking data from FlightRadar24. The flights left from the south side of Pretoria, where the South African air force has a base. An employee in Lubumbashi airport told Reuters on Saturday that he had seen several rotations of aircraft bringing troops and equipment. Three diplomats and a minister from a country in the region said they were aware of the deployment. With M23 rebels controlling Goma's airport, South African troops there are cut off from resupplies. "The pattern of chartered cargo flights under SANDF callsigns from South Africa to both Lubumbashi and locations inside (neighbouring) Burundi points to the likely creation of some type of additional contingency force," said a defence expert who asked not to be named. Two successive wars in the 1990s and 2000s grew out of the Rwandan genocide, drawing in a half dozen of Congo's neighbours and killing millions, mainly through hunger and disease. Uganda and Burundi, which already have thousands of troops in eastern Congo, are also reinforcing their positions. Rwanda rejects accusations that thousands of its troops are fighting alongside M23, while African leaders have urged the parties to hold talks.
