‘We must help the people of DR Congo, but not to our detriment,’ says Malema

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has called on the South African government to either fully equip South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers or withdraw them from the Democratic Republic (DR Congo).

This follows the deaths of nine soldiers in Eastern DR Congo last week.

President Cyril Ramaphosa deployed at least 2 900 soldiers in February last year to support combating illicit armed factions in eastern DR Congo.

He said the deployment was to fulfil the country’s obligation towards the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission to that country.

Ramaphosa: soldiers ‘are equipped’

Last year, South Africa lost two soldiers in the region, while three more sustained severe injuries after a mortar bomb landed inside one of the South African Contingent’s military bases.

ALSO READ: SANDF: SA soldiers weren’t taken hostage in DRC

Political parties have been calling on the government to withdraw the country’s soldiers, saying they were not fully equipped to confront the M23 rebels in the region.

However, the president has previously assured South Africans that the troops are fully equipped to handle the conflict.

“We are trying to secure the peace in the DR Congo. It’s quite complex. It’s not an easy situation, and the conflict has been going on for quite a while. We already had a situation which led to the shooting of our helicopter, and yesterday, we also had two fatalities,” said Ramaphosa following the deaths of two soldiers.

ALSO READ: Ramaphosa says SANDF has ‘military hardware’ for operations in DRC

“Yes, we do have the military hardware to engage in military operations such as those we’re finding in the eastern DRC. South Africa has, over many years, participated in peacekeeping missions in various parts of our continent.”

Malema on DR Congo

Speaking to the media on Monday, Malema said, although it was important for the SADC region to send help to the DR Congo, the capacity to do so was as important.

The EFF leader said sending the country’s troops without the necessary tools to fight off the M23 rebels was tantamount to playing with their lives.

“We should first stabilise DR Congo and support the SADC initiatives and the UN interventions because the stability of DR Congo means the stability of SADC, and the stability of SADC means the stability of our continent,” said Malema.

ALSO READ: SANDF dismisses claims of mineral interests in DR Congo deployment

“We should be concerned that there are problems in DR Congo, and before they come to us, they have to be stopped in DRC; you don’t wait for them to come to you so you can realise we have a problem. The African agenda is that we must help the people of DR Congo, but we must not do that to our detriment.

“We have to deploy the best capacity we have, and if we don’t have it, let’s confess that we don’t have it and withdraw. We may have the interest to defend, but we may not have the capacity. However, children are going to die; somebody’s children are going to die, not only these ones.

“If you shot nine American soldiers, with that madness which is in the Presidency of America now, they would have flattened you the following day. People are playing jokes with the lives of our brothers and we must not allow that. If they can’t give them equipment, let them come back.”

‘Minister of sinkholes’

Malema further criticised the decision to deploy Angie Motshekga to the ministry of defence. He suggested she was not the right person for the job.

“Someone is sleeping, and what makes matters worse is that they took Mam’ Angie to become minister of defence, after being minister of sinkholes. This sinkhole started during her time, now she is sinking the army,” said Malema.

ALSO READ: Uproar over SANDF deaths in DRC

The EFF leader was at Relebogile Secondary School, which is among the poor-performing schools in Gauteng after obtaining just over 50% matric pass rate.

While the EFF leadership was in the school to evaluate its current state and address pressing challenges, Malema said he did not expect to find the sinkhole at the school. This sinkhole happened during Motshekga’s time as basic education minister in February 2023.