The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have strongly criticised the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government for what they call “serious mismanagement” in the repatriation of 14 South African soldiers who died in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last month.

The remains of the soldiers arrived at Waterkloof Airbase in Tshwane on the evening of Wednesday, February 12, aboard a Shaanxi Y-8 cargo plane belonging to the Tanzanian Air Force.

However, the EFF has denounced the multiple delays in returning the bodies, as well as the postponement of the official hand-over ceremony, originally scheduled for Thursday morning at Swartkop Airforce Base.

In its statement, the EFF slammed SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya for what it described as “entirely unrealistic promises” about when the fallen soldiers would be brought home.

Initially, the government had assured that the bodies would arrive by February 5, but logistical setbacks extended the wait by eight days, leaving families in limbo.

EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo criticised the government’s handling of the situation, saying: “The expectations that this callous promise raised for the families of the 14 departed soldiers meant eight days of forlorn hope and agony, that only added to their already deeply inflicted pain and loss.”

The party also condemned the last-minute rescheduling of the formal hand-over, which was pushed to later in the evening due to President Ramaphosa’s prior commitment to the State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate.

“This blatant disrespect towards the bereaved families is utterly unacceptable,” Thambo said.

“The President’s SONA engagement was well known in advance, raising the question why the initial hand-over was scheduled for a time when he was unavailable, only to be changed again after families have already endured unjust delays?”

A key point of concern raised by the EFF was the fact that the soldiers had to be transported by Tanzania’s Air Force due to the South African Air Force’s inability to carry out the mission.

The party cited this as further proof of the deterioration of South Africa’s military capabilities.

“The fact that our 14 soldiers arrived on board of an aircraft of the Tanzanian Airforce has a particular significance and poignancy about Pan-African solidarity,” Thambo stated.

“Tanzania must be lauded for having come to our assistance during this difficult time, especially since our own South African Airforce is in such a pitiful state that we do not have a single cargo plane in our fleet that could have carried out this flight to bring our soldiers home.”

Beyond the logistical failures, the EFF reiterated its call for the immediate withdrawal of South African troops from the conflict-ridden eastern DRC.

The party urged Ramaphosa to prioritise the return of all wounded soldiers for proper medical care and demanded a broader reassessment of South Africa’s military commitments on the continent.

“The only solution to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC is to work for unity among all Africans and to find a peaceful solution that will empower the people of the DRC for them to determine their own future and to regain full control over the resources of that mineral-rich part of our African continent,” Thambo said.

IOL politics