News24 reports that knives were out on Tuesday, and sparks flew between parliamentarians who accused President Cyril Ramaphosa and his friends of using SA troops to protect their mineral interests in the war-ravaged Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
For a large part of the meeting, ANC and EFF MPs slung accusations at each other over the reasons for the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) being in the DRC. Defence Minister Angie Motshekga did not respond to several questions, saying they were of an operational nature, but said a diplomatic solution was urgently needed. MK Party MP Mabel Rweqana said SA troops were being turned into a defence force for other countries. "The same happened in the Central African Republic … What is it that our soldiers are protecting in the DRC? … You go and defend other countries, but you tell us here that you don't have money," she stated. Freedom Front Plus MP Tammy Breedt questioned whether Ramaphosa's family has interests in the mines in the eastern DRC. EFF MP Carl Niehaus said the SANDF sent soldiers to go and die. “We have used the army to defend the mineral wealth of Ramaphosa and his friends. This is not in defence of the people of the DRC,” he alleged. Asked when the bodies of fallen soldiers would be repatriated, SANDF chief Rudzani Maphwanya simply said: "Tomorrow [Wednesday]." He also said there was no direct warfare between Rwanda and SA. "There was an exchange of fire between the DRC forces and Rwanda, and some of the rocket shells fell in the South Africa base," he said.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jason Felix at News24 (subscription or trial registration required)
- Read too, EFF casts doubts on peacekeeping as reason for SANDF deployment in DRC, at EWN
- And also, Bodies of soldiers to be returned on Wednesday, but Rwandan President Kagame’s remarks are a concern, at Sunday Times Daily (subscriber access only)
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