‘Make sure Mozambique is stable for us to be safe’ – Angie Motshekga

The Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga has spoken on the unrest in Mozambique, saying stability is needed to keep South Africa safe.

Following the recent election results announced in October, Mozambique has been marred by violent protests.

The Border Management Authority (BMA) on 6 November temporally closed the Lebombo port of entry as a security measure for South Africans, which was then reopened on 8 November after the deployment of the army.

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‘Part of their responsibilities’

Speaking on Power 98.7, Motshekga said the deployments are a part of their responsibility in its South African National Defence Force (SANDF) initiatives to stabilise the region.

“We have to make sure that Mozambique is stable for us to be safe. You would have seen what happened when Zimbabwe collapsed. It collapsed on our heads,” she said.

In addition, Motshekga also defended the SA deployment to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), despite 10 South African soldiers dying in the conflict.

“It’s part of our responsibility as the SANDF, and in the DRC, you are not there alone, you are part of SANDF.”

Motshekga took office after May’s general elections and said she inherited a struggling department that needed R30 billion.

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Sabotaging international relations

But while budget cuts and funding deficits have been a regular theme for the department, Motshekga has herself come under criticism for the recent withdrawal of United States (US) forces from a defence expo in SA.

Political analyst Roland Henwood told The Citizen, that the decision to withdraw from the Africa Aerospace Defence Expo (AAD) could jeopardise the efforts of Ronald Lamola, the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, currently in the US to improve ties between SA and the US.

Furthermore, it could also affect the efforts of the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Parks Tau, to improve trade relations.

“It is almost impossible to think this is only incompetence. It is known that some in government, the African National Congress (ANC), are very opposed to the US.

“However, this is very short-sighted and undermines, even sabotages, the country and the declared foreign policy of the government,” he said.

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‘Motshekga, a political puppet’

According to political scientist Piet Croucamp, it is natural to conclude that the ANC and the SA military do not enjoy being associated with the US military.

“Motshekga was the wrong choice for the minister of defence, she’s a political puppet.

“She’s not a clear-thinking individual, she’s a puppet with no military experience and can’t even honour a 25-year-old agreement,” he said.

Croucamp said it might be that the matter was too sensitive within the ANC.

“We do make ample use of the intelligence we get from America to fight organised crime in South Africa, but that’s a little more under the radar,” he said.

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