Ramaphosa vows to bring fallen soldiers home – Sona

Tribute to fallen heroes

President Cyril Ramaphosa gave a veiled response to the American government in his State of the Nation Address on Thursday, emphasising that South Africa is a constitutional country that believes in equality and fairness and will not be “bullied”.

This is in response to the negative posture that the United States (US) government has taken against South Africa since the signing into law of the Land Expropriation Bill.

“We will speak with one voice in defence of our national interests, our sovereignty, and our constitutional democracy by standing true to our values, harnessing our unique strengths and endowments, and forging a common purpose. We can turn these trying circumstances to our advantage and propel our country forward,” he said.

Ramaphosa said South Africa stands for several good values that make South Africa different from other countries in the world.

“As South Africans, we stand for peace and justice, equality and solidarity. We stand for a non-racial future, democracy, tolerance, and compassion,” he said.

Ramaphosa said South Africa now has to navigate a world where politicians and other influential people pursue narrow interests, nationalism, and protectionism.

Ramaphosa made similar remarks on his social media accounts after US President Donald Trump threatened to halt South Africa’s receipt of foreign aid.

US relations

Trump accused South Africa of confiscating land from private property owners and doing “horrible” things to certain groups of people in the country.

He said the American government would investigate these allegations before taking further steps.

However, GNU partners have rallied behind Ramaphosa and condemned those peddling lies internationally about the Land Expropriation Act and property rights.

Ramaphosa said the 14 South African soldiers who recently died in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) lost their lives to silence the guns on the African continent.

Ramaphosa spoke at the Cape Town parliamentary precinct, where he delivered his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) under the government of national unity (GNU).

Ramaphosa paid tribute to the South African troops and described them as heroes. He declared a period of mourning, with the national flag to fly at half-mast, for the deceased soldiers starting on Friday.

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“Besides soldiers from other southern African countries, they lost their lives in defence of the fundamental rights of the Congolese people to live in peace and security.

“They lost their lives not in the pursuit of resources, territory or power, but so that the guns on the continent may be forever silenced.”

Ramaphosa described the presence of the South African troops in the DRC as a peacekeeping mission in the eastern DRC.

Business interests in the DRC

However, some parliamentarians grumbled as Ramaphosa paid tribute to the soldiers.

This is because the South African government has been accused of being dishonest about the presence of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF) in the DRC.

Some parliamentarians had accused Ramaphosa of deploying soldiers to the DRC to protect the business interests of those close to him.

Ramaphosa vows to bring fallen soldiers home

Ramaphosa said the South African government was working behind the scenes to ensure that the bodies of the 14 dead troops are brought back home.

He added that South Africa believed in a diplomatic solution to the war in eastern DRC.

At the same time, he said South Africa, as an example of a thriving democracy, was responsible for ensuring peace on the continent and in the Southern African Development Communities (SADC) region.

“We call on all parties to embrace diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful resolution. We will attend the joint summit between SADC and the East African community, scheduled to take place in Tanzania this week.

“South Africa will reiterate its call for a cease-fire and the resumption of talks to find a just and enduring solution and will also make sure our soldiers come back home,” he said.

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