Bodies of 14 SANDF soldiers finally arrive home from DRC

The bodies of 14 SANDF soldiers killed in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have arrived in South Africa.

Families of the soldiers were unable to find closure after a delay in the repatriation of the bodies of their loved ones.

At the weekend, the SANDF said the soldiers’ bodies were taken from DRC to the United Nations Logistics Base in Entebbe, Uganda.

Memorial service

The remains of the soldiers finally arrived home at 9pm on Wednesday night.

A memorial service and government’s handover ceremony of remains to the families will take place on Thursday night at the Swartkops Airforce Base in Pretoria.

The handing-over ceremony was rescheduled for Thursday due to Parliamentary commitments related to the State of the Nation (Sona) debate.

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Fallen heroes

The SANDF soldiers who died in the DRC are:

• Staff Sergeant William Eddie Cola
• Staff Sergeant Molahlehi Ishmael Molahlehi
• Staff Sergeant Shwahlane Theophilus Seepe
• Corporal Matome Justice Malesa
• Corporal Rinae Nemavhulani
• Lance Bombardier Itumeleng Macdonald Moreo
• Lance Corporal Tseke Moffat Molapo
• Lance Corporal Metse Stansly Raswiswi
• Rifleman Sebatane Richard Chokoe
• Rifleman Derrick Maluleke
• Rifleman Tshidiso Andries Mabele
• Rifleman Calvin Louis Moagi
• Rifleman Mokete Joseph Mobe
• Private Peter Jacobus Strydom

Tribute

During the Sona, President Cyril Ramaphosa paid tribute to the 14 fallen SANDF soldiers and instructed the South African national flag to be flown at half mass from Friday, 7 February, for a week to honour the soldiers.

Ramaphosa described the loss of the 14 soldiers, who died as part of a mission to bring peace to eastern parts of the DRC, as “tragic and devastating.”

The deaths of the soldiers led to criticism of Ramaphosa and the government and increased pressure on him to pull the country’s troops out of the DRC.

Deaths

The SANDF soldiers were killed in the eastern DRC  two weeks ago. They were part of a multinational Southern African Development Community (SADC) peace force deployed to stabilise the region amid ongoing clashes between the DRC military and M23 rebels.

The loss of the 14 soldiers is the second major loss for the country following the deaths of 15 soldiers in the Central African Republic in 2013 during a peacekeeping mission on the African continent.

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