By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Repatriation of the remains of 14 SA soldiers killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), planned for Wednesday, has been delayed.
Fullview learnt that the mortal remains of the soldiers – killed during the M23 rebel advance on Sake and Goma in late January – have been handed over to the United Nations, which will lead the repatriation process.
SANDF Chief, General Rudzani Maphwanya, originally said the remains would return on Wednesday but this appears to have been delayed by access difficulties in Goma, which is controlled by the M23.
In a statement on Thursday, the SANDF said “all administrative processes were completed and handed over to the United Nations.The United Nations planned movement for the repatriation of the deceased out of the combat zone has been delayed.”
“It is important that our gallant soldiers must come home and be given dignified funerals. This is vital to ensure that families are afforded an opportunity to mourn, “said Dakota Legoete, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans. The committees highlighted the urgent need for an investigation to assess the causal factors that led to the loss of life of so many soldiers.
Meanwhile president Cyril Ramaphosa said the 14 South African soldiers who recently died in DRC lost their lives to silence the guns on the African continent.
He spoke at the Cape Town parliamentary precinct, where he delivered his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) under the government of national unity (GNU).
Ramaphosa paid tribute to the South African troops and described them as heroes. He declared a period of mourning, with the national flag to fly at half-mast, for the deceased soldiers starting on Friday.
Besides soldiers from other southern African countries, they lost their lives in defence of the fundamental rights of the Congolese people to live in peace and security.
“They lost their lives not in the pursuit of resources, territory or power, but so that the guns on the continent may be forever silenced.”
Ramaphosa described the presence of the South African troops in the DRC as a peacekeeping mission in the eastern DRC.
However, some parliamentarians grumbled as Ramaphosa paid tribute to the soldiers.
This is because the South African government has been accused of being dishonest about the presence of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) in the DRC.
Some parliamentarians had accused Ramaphosa of deploying soldiers to the DRC to protect the business interests of those close to him.
Ramaphosa will on Saturday take part in a summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, that will see the eight nation East African Community (EAC) and its 16 member Southern African Development Community counterpart attempt to “find workable solutions to the longstanding impasse [in DRC]”.