As the government battles to deal with the fallout from the killing of SANDF soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo by the M23 rebels, a retired army general has warned that the incident poses a major security risk for the country.
Retired Lieutenant General Mojo Motau said the deaths of the soldiers have put the country’s reputation and security at risk, suggesting that the SANDF should retaliate, particularly against Rwanda, which is accused of exacerbating the conflict between the DRC and the M23 rebels. It is believed that the M23 rebels are receiving support from neighbouring Rwanda.
The general made these comments during a talk radio show, discussed the state of the army and who should be held accountable for the deaths.
A statement from the Department of Defence and Military Veterans yesterday confirmed that four more SANDF peace keepers were killed in the DRC, bringing the death toll to 13 since last week.
It stated that following an exchange of mortar bombs between the FARDC (Congolese Defence Force) and the M23 rebel militia on Monday, 27 January 2025, near Goma Airport, where the SANDF base is collocated, three members of the SANDF were caught in the crossfire and killed.
“The M23 rebels launched several mortar bombs in the direction of Goma Airport, which landed in the SANDF base, resulting in the loss of three members.”
Furthermore, the SANDF announced that one of its members, who was injured during the battle with M23 rebels over the past three days, later succumbed to injuries. The remaining injured members continue to receive medical attention at the Level 3 Hospital in Goma.
The general’s comment comes after a senior ANC leader and member of the portfolio committee for military defence, Malusi Gigaba, publicly admitted that the soldiers were sitting ducks in the conflict due to inadequate equipment.
Motau, a former Chief of Defence Intelligence for the SANDF, expressed concern over the statements made by Gigaba, saying it is problematic coming from a person of his stature in parliament.
“They should have known that our forces have been sent there for a mission, which I would describe as impossible. Defence intelligence has known about this for years and were expecting this outcome.
“This was not a peaceful country where there is peace to maintain. We should have expected that at some point, we would be attacked, and once we are attacked, we must be committed to fighting back.
“The government must accept that they did not support our troops, which is a very dangerous statement. You cannot send troops into such a dangerous situation without provisions for reinforcement and equipment that can be quickly mobilised to repel any attack,” said Motau, adding that the leadership of the country must take responsibility.
“It would be shocking if President Cyril Ramaphosa contacted Paul Kagame (Rwandan President) after losing so many soldiers. This is not diplomatic issue, and there has been no firmness on the part of our president. It cannot be business as usual; we need to make it clear that the killing of South African soldiers is not something to be taken lightly,” he said.
Motau added that had he still been in the defence force, there would have been retaliation, particularly against all M23 forces being trained in Rwanda.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula told journalists at a media briefing that the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga will speak on the SANDF deployment today.
“We did not leave here with all our artillery to go to war; we went there to maintain peace. In the process, when we are faced with challenges and become collateral damage in the conflict, it is a question we need to address. This is exactly the point that President Ramaphosa is addressing with other heads of state.”
He dismissed Motau's statement, saying, “He says we must go to war; war with whom? It's wrong to make that assertion. We went there to join armies from other African countries to maintain peace in the DRC.”