By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The first group of SANDF troops has landed at Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria from the Democratric Republic of Congo (DRC).
Initially the group was supposed to land at the Air Force Base Bloemspruit in Bloemfontein where Defence Minister, Angie Motshekga, and others were awaiting their arrival but this changed.
The SANDF played a central role in SAMIDRC, which was launched in December 2023 to help restore peace in the volatile eastern DRC. Alongside troops from Malawi and Tanzania, SANDF forces were deployed under SADC’s Mutual Defence Pact at the invitation of the DRC government, with a mandate to neutralise illegal armed groups, protect civilians, and support the Congolese armed forces.
The mission faced significant operational hurdles almost from the outset. The resurgence of the M23 rebel group in late 2024 led to a rapid deterioration of the security situation, culminating in the capture of key cities such as Goma and Bukavu by M23 forces earlier this year.
These events resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilians being displaced and a dire humanitarian crisis. The SANDF, as the largest troop-contributing country, suffered the loss of 14 soldiers in the fighting around Goma in late January.
On 13 March 2025, the SADC Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government formally terminated the SAMIDRC mandate, citing the deteriorating security situation and the need to explore diplomatic solutions.
The withdrawal had a number of challenges including logistical delays due to the heavy equipment that had to be moved from their base near Goma.
The SANDF said just over 30 trucks had to transport SA Military equipment from Goma to Tanzania. Other heavy equipment were transported through the Dar es Salaam port to South Africa.
Briefing the media in Bloemfontein earlier, Motshekga announced the return of the first group of 249 soldiers to journalists.
The army was “working around the clock” with its partners in the region to ensure its equipment was safely returned, she added.
“We shall not leave even a pin behind,” she said, repeating a statement made last month by defence chief General Rudzani Maphwanya.
Maphwanya said in May that the evacuation from the DRC was not a sign of weakness but a “technical move that allows peace and mediation to continue”.
Despite criticism regarding resources, strategy, and the ultimate outcome, SANDF leadership has maintained that the mission contributed meaningfully to peace efforts in the DRC.
Maphwanya emphasised that the deployment helped create space for political engagement and mediation, which ultimately led to a ceasefire agreement between the DRC government and M23 rebels.