National Assembly to hold urgent debate on SANDF deaths in DRC

The National Assembly will hold an urgent debate on Monday on the deaths of the 14 South African National Defence Force (SANDF) members in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The special sitting has been called as a matter of national importance.

The theme of the debate is “The recent casualties incurred by the SANDF in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and their implications for the defense force.”

All cabinet members have been requested to attend the debate.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has also directed that the national flag be flown at half-mast until Friday the 14th of February.

The 14 SANDF members lost their lives in the pursuit of peace and security. Alongside soldiers from other Southern African nations, they were deployed to the eastern DRC as part of a peacekeeping mission in defense of the Congolese people.

Aside from Monday’s urgent debate, Parliament is yet to decide how else to commemorate the 14 soldiers. Since their deaths in Goma in January, members of Parliament have called for clarity on the well-being of SANDF soldiers in the DRC.

MPs have also again criticised the ongoing underfunding of the SANDF, saying the capacitation of deployed members is sacrosanct.

The Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence has called for an investigation into what led to the loss of so many lives, as well as a closed meeting to enable the SANDF to give more details on operational matters and defence intelligence.