Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Defence says South Africa’s deployment of its soldiers to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) aligns with the country’s foreign policy.
Parliament on Monday held a special sitting during which the deaths of 14 South African soldiers in the DRC were debated.
Their bodies are expected to be repatriated from the Uganda capital Kampala on Thursday.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Natasha Ntlangwini condemned President Cyril Ramaphosa’s authorisation of the deployment; while party leader Julius accused the government of not properly equipping the army.
But the committee’s Chairperson Dakota Legoete says the country’s foreign policy advocates for unity and peace in Africa.
“In terms of our foreign policy, we have are for the unity of Africa. But equally why it’s in our interest as a country to get stability in any part of our region is because we are a receiving nation of all people who run away from wars in their country. You would know that in South Africa if everything were to go tit-for-tat in the DRC, almost a million or two million of those people would end up as South Africa’s refugees. And it’s important for us to help the DRC to find peace.”
PODCAST | Dakota Legoete on SANDF deployment in the DRC:
Calls for Motshekga’s resignation
Meanwhile, calls from some political parties are mounting for Motshekga to resign following the deaths of the soldiers.
Legoete described the calls as opportunistic, saying that the soldiers were deployed to the DRC long before Motshekga became defence minister.
