The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) on Friday 12 July held a memorial service for the late Major JC (Tolla) Pieterse after he was killed by a hand grenade while serving with the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Monusco).
Captain K Setsiba reported for the SANDF that the memorial service took place at Tactical Headquarters in Mavivi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Major Pieterse joined the 14 South African Infantry Battalion in April 2023 in preparation for serving with Monusco for 2024/2025 in the eastern DRC, and was posted as the Charlie Company Commander. He had only been in the DRC for several days when he was killed by a grenade on 8 July while in his base tent.
Setsiba reported those in attendance at Friday’s memorial service were the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Bruno Le Marquis; the Head of Office, Josiah Obat; the Force Intervention Brigade Commander, Brigadier General A Matambo; Battle Groups Commanders; and Quick Reaction Force Commanders of various forces deployed in the DRC.
In the various speeches by friends and colleagues, all agreed that he was a very devoted, well-disciplined, and hardworking soldier who had no room for mediocrity and did not compromise on military standards, Setsiba reported. “He was a perfectionist who made sure that everything he touched turned into gold,” one said.
As UN Force Intervention Brigade Commander, Matambo said that “the Force Intervention Brigade has lost one of its strongest pillars.”
As an advocate for international peace and stability, Pieterse deployed twice in the Democratic Republic of Congo under the United Nations Peacekeeping mission, and in 2022 he obtained his master’s degree from the University of Stellenbosch.
The SANDF and UN are conducting an investigation into the grenade explosion that killed Pieterse. According to Rapport, the incident may not have been an accident but murder, and Monusco has classified the dossier on his death as “possibly murder”.
Colleagues of Pieterse sold the publication he did not pull the pin of the grenade himself and that there was no reason for having one in his tent.
“It has been reliably learnt that he often incurred the wrath of his troops because he maintained strict discipline and did not hesitate to confront soldiers who were slacking off. He was named in official grievances filed by some of the South African soldiers in the DRC,” Rapport stated.
On the morning of his death, Pieterse was at an operational briefing session. Just after 9am, he returned to the camp and asked a member of his leadership group to gather soldiers so he could share briefing information with them. According to witnesses, he then entered his tent by opening its flap. Moments later, the grenade exploded.
Pieterse’s remains will be repatriated via Entebbe in Uganda, and his funeral is expected to be held on 20 July. He is survived by a wife and two teenage daughters.
