BusinessLive reports that the death toll among SA National Defence Force (SANDF) troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to climb, with an army major becoming the latest casualty.

Maj JC “Tolla” Pieterse, 46, was killed when a hand grenade exploded outside his tent near Beni on Monday, making him the eighth SA soldier to be killed in the DRC since February. Beni is about 380km north of Sake and is not close to the war front where M23’s forces are concentrated. Pieterse was deployed as part of the Monusco UN peacekeeping force in the DRC. He was acting as the company commander of 14 SA Infantry Battalion from Mthatha at the time of his death. Apparently, the group of soldiers were conducting patrols as part of the stabilisation efforts in the volatile east of the country. The incident happened when they were back in their camp. The pin of the hand grenade found on the scene indicated it was from an SA grenade. In February, Capt Simon Mkhulu Bobe and L-Cpl Irven Thabang Semono were killed when a mortar hit the Sake base. Sgt Mbulelo David Ngubane died in May during a battle with M23. Capt Lucky Maringa and Capt Rebaone Kgopane died two weeks ago when a mortar hit the Sake base. Another unnamed SA soldier died earlier after health issues. Monusco is slowly withdrawing from the DRC and has already completed this process from South Kivu.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Erika Gibson at BusinessLive

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