The deaths of 14 South African soldiers at the hands of M23 rebels in Eastern DRC was not in vain and was in fact for the greater good.
This is the message of President Cyril Ramaphosa to the families of the fallen soldiers who received their mortal remains at a sombre ceremony held at Swartkop Airforce Base near Centurion.
Ramaphosa said the slain troops should be remembered as patriots who placed the interests of the country ahead of their own. The president’s comments come on the back of criticism that the soldiers were sent to their deaths when South Africa agreed to contribute troops to the peacekeeping missions of both SADC ( Southern African Development Community) and the United Nations in the 3 decades long conflict in eastern DRC.
“As Africans we are one people. When one part of Africa bleeds we feel its pain. The Congolese people cry out for protection, for an end of war and for their dignity. The gallant soldiers who’s lives we are celebrating today, who’s lives we are also mourning answered the call and to the families of the berieved, we say take comfort that your family members, your fathers, your husbands, your brothers, your cousins, were heroes and we as South Africans regard them as heroes of our nation. Their work in the DRC was not just about mainatining order, it was about building bridges, building peace, fostering pathways for lasting peace in our region and in our continent and so we say to you in the words ofS.E.K Mqhayi in his poem he wrote after the sinking of the ship Mendy. He said be consoled all of you orphans, be consoled all you widows, somebody has to serve so that others can live. With these words we say be consoled, this is how we build ourselves as ourselves,” said Ramaphosa at the memorial.
Ramaphosa also used the platform to urge South Africans to not think of the country in isolation emphasising it may never know peace if it’s neighbours remained unstable.
“ the south african defence force is a defense force that is capable of defending the people of South Africa but also capable of intervening in the interst of peace and security for those who need it in our region. we intervened recently in Mozambique when Mozambique was threatened by negative forces and we knew that as we intervened we were not only intervening on behalf of the people of Mozambique but on our own behalf as well because what had befallen Mozambique through the incursions of insurgents could easily befall us and we acted in defense of our own country and also in defense of the people of mozambique and our own region,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya hit back at those who are questioning the defence force’s fitness for combat saying the debate was ill-timed.
“Our soldiers went into the heart of darkness with deep courage. I must address my message to the generals, both serving and retired, our utterances and behaviour must reflect that resolve to occupy the moral high ground befitting [the ethical] morality that governs the general staff. If there is a national security issue that affects our nation, grandstanding on national TV may not bring an immediate solution,” said the General.
Meanwhile General Maphwanya confirmed that Ramaphosa had given an undertaking to increase funding for SANDF but emphasised that the resources were required for building for the future as currently the force was managing just fine.