On February 4, 2025, Minister Motshekga and commanders of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) appeared before Parliament, where they explained that their soldiers did not expect to be engaged in combat when sent on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission, as they were intended to serve as peacekeepers.
However, MP Carl Niehaus dismissed this reasoning, insisting that the real purpose of the mission was to fight, not to keep the peace.
'Why are you Minister? And why is the President lying to us about the nature of the operation that we have in the DRC?' Niehaus asked.
'It is not a peacekeeping mission. It is an offensive mission and it is defined as such by the SADC. Therefore, you knew that our soldiers were going to be shot at, and you knew that you were sending our young men into the DRC to die in the killing fields of the DRC.'
Another MP criticized the government for misusing taxpayer money to fund the mission without providing clear justification. The MPs also pointed out contradictions regarding the financial support for the operation. Initially, the government promised billions of rand for the mission, only to later claim that the funds were provided by SADC.
The MPs, dissatisfied with the explanations, insisted that South African troops were not contributing to peace in the DRC and called for their immediate withdrawal.
Concerns about transparency were also raised, with many MPs questioning the unclear role of South African soldiers in the conflict. These concerns intensified after reports emerged that South Africa had lost several soldiers in the DRC.
On January 27, 2025, up to 14 South African soldiers were killed during clashes with M23 rebels, who had taken control of the strategic city of Goma in North Kivu Province.
Motshekga acknowledged that the South African troops faced a shortage of equipment, which hindered their ability to defend themselves.
Lawmakers also asked the foreign minister and SANDF Chief when the soldiers would be repatriated and for how long the mission was planned.
However, they were unable to provide answers. MP Virgill Gericke emphasized that South Africa should not hide behind SADC, noting that countries are not forced to participate in missions under the organization.
South African forces are reportedly working alongside the Congolese Army's coalition including the FDLR, a terrorist group formed by remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Over 1,500 South African soldiers were deployed to the DRC as part of a SADC mission to assist the DRC's army in combating armed groups in the region.
The role of South Africa in the conflict drew criticism from President Paul Kagame, who responded to a controversial message from South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa on X last week.
Ramaphosa's message referred to the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) as a militia and incorrectly called South African forces in the DRC peacekeepers.
Kagame condemned the message, calling it misleading and accusing Ramaphosa of distorting facts.
'The RDF is an army, not a militia,' Kagame asserted. He also criticized the SAMIDRC mission, stating, 'SAMIDRC is not a peacekeeping force, and it has no place in this situation. It was authorized by SADC as a belligerent force engaging in offensive combat operations to help the DRC Government fight against its own people, working alongside genocidal armed groups like FDLR which target Rwanda.'
IGIHE
