Ahead of leaving for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to relieve 14 SA Infantry (SAI) Battalion, sister SA Army Infantry Formation unit 9 SAI completed its pre-deployment validation programme at Joint Mobilisation and Demobilisation HQ.
The Cape Town-based infantry unit was joined on the programme by a tactical intelligence unit (TIU) from the Thaba Tshwane headquartered SA Army Intelligence Formation.
The programme, according to SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Joint Operations Division communicator BB Best, confirms and ensures individual and collective military skills meet United Nations (UN) requirements for command and control, protection of civilians and provision of “humanitarian assistance”. The infantry men and women along with the intelligence operators will form up with the UN mission in DRC – MONUSCO.
On conclusion of the programme, with participation by UN personnel based in the central African country and at the world body headquarters in New York, both 9 SAI and the TIU earned a 69% rating with a “room for improvement” comment.
A field exercise at the De Brug training area was the final component of the programme on 23 November with a vote of thanks to participating soldiers for their commitment and co-operation.
One seemingly not au fait with SANDF preparation ahead of continental peacekeeping and peace support missions, is Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) National Assembly (NA) public representative Leigh-Ann Mathys, also the party’s national spokesperson.
She used a statement on allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by South African soldiers in DRC as a vehicle to elaborate on “poorly trained and inadequately equipped” deployed personnel.
“The EFF repeats our serious – well founded – reservations about South Africa’s continuing deployment of poorly trained and inadequately equipped troops specifically in the DRC, but also in the other UN peacekeeping missions,” her statement reads.
