SABC News reports that the SA National Defence Union (Sandu) has backed comments made over the weekend by SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Lieutenant General Peter Ntshavheni Maphaha, who accused the government of running a “Mickey Mouse” defence force.
This after 14 SANDF soldiers were killed in clashes between Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) armed forces and the M23 rebels last month in the eastern Congo. Maphaha was speaking at the funeral of Staff Sergeant Ishmael Molahlehi in the Free State. He warned the government that borders were not being protected, leaving South Africans vulnerable. Sandu national secretary Pikkie Greeff said he supported Maphaha’s remarks. “Everything that the Sergeant General said there is factual. There’s no argument there. It needed to be said, and people don’t always like what they hear, but the ones who don’t like it are the ones who made it the way it is. And that’s the politicians,” commented Greef. He went on to indicate that “without the Defence Force that’s effective and capable, we might as well give up our sovereignty and all of these other things that we try to look after.” Meanwhile, the process of evacuating injured SA soldiers from the eastern DRC is underway. The M23 is insisting that the only route that will be cleared for evacuation will be through the Rwandan border. SA is not keen to go through Rwanda fearing humiliation by the Rwandan authorities.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard at SABC News
- Read too, Government slammed for running “Mickey Mouse SANDF”, at The Star
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page