Cape Town – The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has refuted claims of soldiers surrendering to M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), dismissing reports as baseless.
This response follows allegations made a report, written by a Washington DC correspondent regarding soldiers being held hostage.
“Several South African soldiers deployed by the ANC government in Democratic Republic of Congo as part of an ill-equipped and ill-prepared force reportedly surrendered to the M23 rebels this past week. The soldiers are now reportedly being held as hostages by M23,” Times Live quoted the report as saying.
Being protective of Cyril Ramaphosa, the South African media did not cover this story at all.
removing the ANC from office by voting them out next month.#SANDF pic.twitter.com/CVgt4OLK14
— Marc Anderson (@PatriotMarc) April 2, 2024
But SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said that all deployed members have been accounted for, The Citizen reported.
“We want to state categorically that all SANDF members deployed in the DRC have been accounted for.
“This is not the first time such unfounded and baseless news articles have been written about the SANDF since its deployment in the DRC under SAMIDRC.
“The SANDF views such attempts to discredit the defence force in the most serious light by faceless people, and will not standby and allow its good name to be tarnished.
“The SANDF as the authority for the deployed members shall at all times inform the South African public about the situation and safety of its members in the DRC,” the report quoted Dlamini as saying.
Meanwhile, concerns over SANDF’s preparedness and equipment have been raised by ActionSA, prompting calls for clarity from President Cyril Ramaphosa and Defence Minister Thandi Modise.
Ramaphosa defended SANDF’s deployment, citing the country’s commitment to peacekeeping missions in the region.
However, casualties have occurred, with two soldiers losing their lives and three sustaining severe injuries in the eastern DRC.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
