In a heated parliamentary session on Tuesday, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament Elsabe Natasha Ntlangwini fiercely criticized President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to deploy the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Ntlangwini alleged that the deployment was less about fostering regional peace and more about protecting the mining interests of Ramaphosa’s “white friends.” Her comments ignited a tense debate, casting a shadow over the government’s official narrative regarding the mission.
The parliamentary session saw Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, Deputy Minister Bantu Holomisa, and SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya responding to probing questions from MPs about the deployment. The meeting was held in the wake of a tragic attack that claimed the lives of 14 SANDF soldiers, an incident that reportedly violated a ceasefire agreement in the region. Motshekga’s department assured Parliament that the bodies of the fallen soldiers would be repatriated to South Africa by Wednesday.
Ntlangwini’s remarks underscored the growing frustration among MPs regarding the lack of transparency surrounding the mission. “We want the time frame on when the plane is landing, at Waterkloof or wherever it is. When are they landing here with those bodies?” she demanded, emphasizing the urgency of giving the deceased soldiers a dignified send-off. She continued, “We want to give our brothers and sisters that have died fighting for only God knows what they were fighting for.”
The EFF MP, joined by other opposition members, called for a thorough inquiry into the mission, questioning whether the soldiers’ lives were being risked for hidden agendas rather than genuine peacekeeping efforts. “We need an inquiry; people’s heads need to roll; people need to take responsibility. It can’t be business as usual,” Ntlangwini asserted. She criticized the government’s vague responses, adding, “You still don’t know how many are likely to perish because your answers here today haven’t been satisfactory at all, and it’s quite disappointing.”
Defence Minister Motshekga defended the deployment, clarifying that the SANDF’s involvement in the DRC was part of a broader Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission, not a unilateral South African operation. “This was a SADC mission, not a South African mission. It’s not us as South Africa who are in the DRC, but we are there as part of a bigger mission,” she explained. However, Motshekga’s firm stance did little to quell the growing dissatisfaction among MPs. “If members of Parliament are not happy with the answers, it’s unfortunate because those are the answers we have,” she stated, refusing to elaborate further.
The controversy intensified following a public exchange between Rwandan President Paul Kagame and President Ramaphosa. Kagame’s spokesperson, Yolande Makolo, accused Ramaphosa of deploying troops to the DRC to safeguard his personal mining interests, rather than to support peace efforts. In a post on X, Makolo wrote, “South Africans deserve to know the truth. You are not supporting the people of DRC to achieve peace. You are sending your troops to fight President Tshisekedi’s war to kill his own people. Please tell your people the truth about the personal interests in mining that you have in the DRC – these are the interests for which, sadly, SANDF soldiers are dying.”
As tensions escalate, calls for greater accountability and transparency regarding South Africa’s military engagements abroad continue to grow. With 14 soldiers dead and no clear resolution in sight, the controversy surrounding the DRC mission is unlikely to fade soon, leaving many to question the true cost of South Africa’s involvement in the region.
