Cape Town — Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, said that South African troops are not in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to protect President Cyril Ramaphosa’s mining interests.
In a media briefing, Magwenya said it would reject the assertations that Ramaphosa was in the DRC for personal gain and anyone who says so must provide proof, saying SA has been committed to peace in the country for many years, Newzroom Afrika reported.
“It’s been 20 years now. It began through our contribution to the UN peacekeeping force in the DRC and that was during the later years of the Mandela demonstration,’ he said.
“To reduce such a long commitment to the attainment of peace in the DRC, on our continent, to the protection of mining interests is completely devoid of any truth and it lacks the knowledge and appreciation of South Africa’s role in ensuring peacekeeping or ensuring the stability of our continent,” he added.
He said South Africa has been involved in more than 20 peacekeeping initiatives, including Mozambique last year, and there had never been accusations before of South Africa’s involvement for personal reasons.
“We will reject those assertions because they also are devoid of any facts but more disappointingly, they just lack the appreciation of South Africa’s long involvement in ensuring that we enjoy a greater deal of stability and peace on our continent,” he said.
WATCH BELOW:
[WATCH] “We will reject those assertions.” Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says those who accuse President Cyril Ramaphosa of deploying the SANDF in the DRC to protect his business interests must provide proof. #Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/qC3KqMsRiS
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) February 5, 2025
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
