Ten of the 14 South African soldiers who died when they came under attack by M23 (Mouvement du 23 Mars) rebels in and around Goma late last month belonged to the SA National Defence Union (Sandu), which named them and their units.
Most soldiers belonged to infantry battalions – six – with two parabats from 1 Parachute Battalion and 44 Parachute Regiment as well as a gunner from 4 Artillery Regiment and a private attached to Army Support Base (ASB) in Kimberley.
Units which lost Sandu personnel are 2 SA Infantry (SAI) Battalion in Zeerust (Rifleman Calvin Moagi); 4 SAI, Middelburg, Mpumalanga (Rifleman Sebatane Chokoe); 7 SAI, Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal (Corporal Matome Malesa and Lance Corporal Tseke Molapo); 15 SAI, Thohoyandou (Lance Corporal Metse Raswiswi and Rifleman Derrick Maluleke); 1 Parachute Battalion, Bloemfontein (Rifleman Mokete Mobe); 44 Parachute Regiment, Bloemfontein (Staff Sergeant Molahlehi Molahlehi); 4 Artillery Regiment, Potchefstroom (Lance Bombardier Itumeleng Moreo) and Private Peter Strydom, Army Support Base (ASB), Kimberley.
The units of the remaining four dead soldiers have not been made public by the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Directorate Corporate Communication), despite this publication repeatedly asking.
They are staff sergeants William Cola and Shwahlane Seepe, Corporal Rinae Nemavhulani and Rifleman Tshidiso Mabele.
The bodies of the dead soldiers arrived in South Africa, at Air Force Base (AFB Waterkloof) yesterday (Wednesday), six days after SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya told a joint sitting of two Parliamentary defence oversight committees the repatriation would be completed by Thursday, 6 February. The bodies will today (Thursday) be handed to families in the presence of a delegation of Defence Ministry and SA National Defence Force (SANDF) senior personnel at the Air Force Mobile Deployment Wing (AF MDW), previously AFB Swartkop, the oldest working base in the SA Air Force (SAAF).
Following Monday’s National Assembly debate on South Africa’s involvement in DRC by way of SAMIDRC, three Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentarians laid wreaths at Parliament’s eternal flame to honour those killed and pay tribute to those still serving.
“We honour the courage and sacrifice of South African soldiers deployed in DR. Our heartfelt condolences go to the families of those who have fallen. We remember those who lost their lives, not only in battle but also in preventable tragedies, such as the recent Samil vehicle accident [at Danielskuil] in Northern Cape province,” party defence and military veterans spokesman Chris Hattingh said.
Also at the wreath-laying were DA public representatives Maliyakhe Shelembe, Emma Powell, Nicholas Gotsell and Cathy Labuschagne.
