Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Chris Hattingh MP.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls for an urgent and immediate debate in Parliament to assess whether South African soldiers deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were adequately equipped for the mission, and how we can prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
The tragic loss of nine South African soldiers on 25 January 2025 at the hands of the M23 rebel group highlights the grave concerns over the safety and preparedness of our armed forces. These brave soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice while engaged in peacekeeping efforts, yet they were sent into a volatile and escalating conflict with insufficient support and resources.
The DA has long raised alarms about the inadequacy of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) preparedness for the challenges posed by the DRC’s deteriorating security situation. Despite these warnings, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga have failed to ensure that our soldiers are adequately equipped and supported to face the dangers on the ground.
The security situation in the DRC continues to worsen, with rebel forces closing in on critical areas, and international organisations such as the United Nations evacuating non-essential personnel. In contrast, South African soldiers remain exposed and ill-prepared for the increasing threat. This tragic incident has raised the question of whether the SANDF had the proper resources, training, and equipment to handle the challenges of this mission.
The DA is calling for an urgent debate to examine whether the South African government has taken the necessary steps to ensure the safety and well-being of our soldiers, and to determine how such a situation can be avoided in the future. Specifically, we need to address whether the soldiers sent to the DRC were properly equipped and whether there are systemic failures in our defence strategy that must be rectified.
We cannot allow political or diplomatic considerations to put our soldiers’ lives at risk. It is imperative that Parliament urgently debates these critical issues to ensure that, moving forward, our soldiers are never sent into harm’s way without the support, equipment, and resources they need to complete their mission safely.
The DA calls on the Speaker of the National Assembly to schedule this debate as soon as possible. The safety of our troops must be a national priority.