Makolo was responding to a statement by Ramaphosa on Monday, February 3, 2025, in which he defended his decision to keep South African troops in the DRC, despite the recent deaths of 14 soldiers.
Ramaphosa emphasized South Africa's commitment to supporting African nations, stating, 'As a country, we have a duty of support towards the nations of Africa whose solidarity and material support helped secure our liberation. South Africa will not let up in its support to the people of the DRC so that they may have the peace and security they rightfully deserve.'
In response, Makolo accused Ramaphosa of misleading South Africans and suggested that his government's military engagement in the DRC is driven by personal interests in the country's mineral resources rather than a genuine commitment to peace.
"South Africans deserve to know the truth. You are not supporting the people of DRC to achieve peace. You are sending your troops to fight President Tshisekedi's war to kill his own people," Makolo posted on X.
'And this kind of statement only makes the Congolese president more intransigent, while the suffering continues. Please tell your people the truth about the personal interests in mining that you have in the DRC â€" these are the interests for which, sadly, SANDF soldiers are dying,' she added.
Her remarks come amid reports that South Africa is preparing to send additional troops and equipment to South Kivu, where M23 rebels continue their military campaign, claiming to fight for the rights of persecuted Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese.
This latest exchange adds to growing tensions between Rwanda and South Africa, which escalated after Ramaphosa recently referred to Rwandan troops as rebels.
President Paul Kagame swiftly rejected the claim, asserting that the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) is a legitimate national army, not a rebel group. He also warned that if South Africa was seeking confrontation, Rwanda was prepared to respond accordingly.
Ramaphosa had earlier stated that if M23 forces killed more South African troops, he would consider it an act of war by Rwanda, further straining diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Sam K Nkurunziza
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/be-honest-with-your-people-makolo-challenges-ramaphosa
