The postponement of Wednesday’s Portfolio Committee on Defence sitting has left some members of the committee frustrated following the death of 13 SANDF soldiers in the DRC
Members of the Portfolio Committee on Defence were left outraged following a cancellation of Wednesday’s scheduled meeting with the Minister of Defence and military Veterans, Angie Motshekga.
The cancelled meeting was to discuss issues relating to the committee’s first term of office as well as the issues affecting the SA Military Health Services’ pharmacies reports.
This meeting with the minster comes as South Africa has reported the death of four additional members of the South African Defence Force (SANDF).
Media reports on Tuesday have revealed a further loss of life on top of the initial nine deaths last week Friday.
EFF MP and member of the committee Carl Niehaus, in a letter to committee chairperson Molefi David Legoete, slammed the total cancellation of this important meeting in light of the current situation in the DRC.
“I want to register my outrage with and strongest possible opposition to this unacceptable request for a postponement of the meeting (or is it already a decision??)
“The meeting should not be postponed as the situation in the DRC is a dire crisis. Goma has fallen, our SANDF soldiers are hoisting the white flag, surrendering, and getting killed. According to information that I am receiving more of our soldiers have died,” Niehaus stated.
According to Niehaus, the canned meeting should have been cleared with a new agenda to address the current situation in Goma as a matter of urgency and not be postponed indefinitely.
“Obviously the original agenda for the Wednesday meeting could not go ahead, that agenda had to be cleared and a new agenda adopted to deal with the crisis in the DRC, and what must urgently, and immediately, be done to evacuate our troops and save their lives. Literally every minute now counts! This cannot be “left for as soon as possible”. The Portfolio Committee must meet, deliberate and act on it immediately,“ he stated.
Niehaus said other members of the committee also want the meeting to happen and the current situation should not be tolerated without a clear way forward.
“If this totally unacceptable postponement goes ahead, I will on behalf of the EFF publicly oppose it, and make our views (and fundamental disagreement about this) public.There does not seem be any adequate understanding about how dire the situation is, and the urgency of action that is required,’’ he added.
In a message to members of the committee, researcher Dr. Wilhelm Janse Van Rensburg indicates that the sitting had to be postponed as the minister is dealing with the DRC crisis.
“Good evening Members.Given the situation in the DRC and the understandable preoccupation of the SANDF, the Chairperson has requested that we postpone Wednesday’s Portfolio Committee meeting. In the meantime, the Joint Standing Committee on Defence is in contact with the Minister and requested an urgent briefing that will take place as soon as possible in order for Parliament to rather prioritise the DRC matter,” he stated.
However, the members wanted the minister and her team to discuss the urgent DRC matter instead.
Niehaus taking issue with the postponement slammed the chairperson for not communicating directly with the members saying: “May I also ask why Dr. Janse Van Rensburg is communicating such a critical decision to us, and not the Chair of the Portfolio Committee himself in person? (Even if the Chair asked him to do so this is not acceptable under the circumstances).”
Speaking on the current situation in the DRC, Professor Hussein Solomon, a security and political commentator at Free State university, called for both the minister and the President to account for the massacre of 13 SA troops.
“First and foremost, there has to be a case to be made by the minister and the President on why our soldiers are in the DRC in the first place.
“Someone must account. If we are a truly a democratic country they should account to the oversight committee as a matter of urgency. If it was members of the British or American army who were killed in this manner, there would be a resignation, but here in South Africa no one wants to account,“ he said.
On the conditions in the DRC, Solomon said budget cuts and incompetence are linked to the 13 deaths.
“It is sheer incompetence that has resulted in this crisis. I have seen images of some of the soldiers wearing sneakers. I am told the M23 Rebels have drones while we do not have drones. We understand that soldiers at some point expect unfortunate incidents to happen, but this was not the way to do it. These young men and women were sent to the DRC to die because they were not given the right equipment and tools to fight this battle,” he said.
Attempts to get comment from the president’s office and the department of defence and military veterans were unsuccessful at the time of going to print.
ATM leader, Vuyo Zungula in a letter to the chairperson to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Malusi Gigaba urged Gigaba to summon the minister before the two committees.
“The African Transformation Movement (ATM) writes to express its deep concern and indignation over the tragic loss of nine South African National Defence Force (Sandf) soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), with an additional four soldiers reportedly losing their lives shortly thereafter.”
The party said the unfortunate incidents highlight “severe lapses in the operational readiness and support systems provided to our troops, including reports of inadequate armour, ammunition, and personal protective equipment (PPE)”.
“The ATM believes these losses are a direct result of systemic failures in the allocation and utilisation of funds earmarked for troop welfare and military preparedness. It is evident that the lives of our soldiers are being endangered by financial mismanagement and a lack of oversight within the Department of Defence and National Treasury,“ Zungula stated.
In a statement, the department said the video circulated on social media depicting a surrender of the SA troops was not a true reflection of the current situation.
“The footage in question depicts a white flag raised, which is an outcome of discussions between the opposing fighting forces to agree on a truce to allow M23 to recover their dead and injured in the vicinity of our base. This will also open the route for our troops to access medical facilities. This is common practice in any war,“ departmental spokesperson, Siphiwe Dlamini said.
As such ,the department said SA troops are still engaged in the operation.
“Our troops continue to operate with resolve, courage and discipline in pursuit of peace and stability in the region,” he added.