An unfortunate spin-off of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by soldiers on continental peacekeeping deployments is paternity claims, with South Africa topping a United Nations (UN) list for the number of fatherhood claims.
A report titled “Conduct in UN Field Missions” has it 80 paternity claims involving South African military personnel have been forwarded to the troop contributing country (TCC) in the past 15 years. The report does not specify where the paternity claim originated, either country- or mission-wise. Cameroon is number two with 72 claims lodged with the Republic of Congo third on 55 in 15 years and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) fourth with 48 in 15 years.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) National Assembly (NA) public representative Carl Niehaus, posing a question on SEA in the DRC to Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga was told ill-discipline and misconduct was not rampant – as alleged – among South African soldiers deployed with the United Nations (UN) mission (MONUSCO) in the eastern DRC.
According to Niehaus, South African troops based in Beni regularly break their camp curfews and stay out overnight, frequenting night clubs of ill repute and getting entangled in prostitution rings that blackmail them and generally damage the image and good name of the SANDF (SA National Defence Force). He wanted ministerial input on disciplinary steps taken against soldiers found guilty of SEA incidents.
Motshekga’s response, in part, has it yes, she was briefed by SANDF Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya on ill-discipline as well as SEA and her questioner was advised “ill-discipline must not be taken as a broad generalisation as if it is the majority of our troops”.
On disciplinary action, Niehaus was informed “a number of SANDF soldiers who have committed SEA have been prosecuted and sentenced up to dismissal from the SANDF”.
Disciplinary actions include soldiers being conferred with applicable charge(s) for the offence(s) and prosecuted by a military court. The sentences meted out include jail terms and up to dismissal from the Defence Force. For the soldiers on deployment inside or outside the country it includes being withdrawn from the deployment and sent back home.
“The misconduct of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) of locals in external deployments is taken as one of the highest offences (grave) and is given priority attention by the Commanders at all levels and consequently by the military legal practitioners,” Motshekga stated.
As far as establishing paternity, in not one instance to date has a South African soldier or other SA National Defence Force (SANDF) staffer been positively and legally identified as fathering a child in the last fifteen years. The 80 claims are pending resolution for, according to the UN report, “various reasons”. On what can be called the positive side 31 paternity claims against South African military personnel have been either withdrawn because the child’s mother/guardian retracted or fatherhood was not confirmed.
Overall, the report lists 742 paternity claims against military personnel from 15 countries and UN staff. Twenty-nine of these have been settled with – in an unspecified number – child support being provided. The majority – 514 – sit in the in-tray of UN specialists pending resolution, while 199 claims resulted in paternity not being established or the claims being withdrawn.
African Defence Review (ADR) editor Darren Olivier shed light on the thorny issue of what South African soldiers seemingly guilty of transgressing UN sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) regulations face.
“South Africa’s Military Discipline Code does not contain equivalent offences for all the UN peacekeeping SEA rules including fraternising with locals or visiting brothels, which is why soldiers cannot simply be charged for ‘SEA’. Instead, they are typically charged with breaking curfew and breaching base standing orders as in this case,” he wrote in connection with nine South African soldiers deported in October 2023.
They were cleared of SEA allegations and found guilty of violating base standing orders (BSOs). The SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Directorate Corporate Communication (DCC) confirmed the nine were found guilty of breaking BSOs and charged with breaking curfew. A Military Court imposed fines of between R2 000 and R4 000 as well as confining them to barracks from 90 to 240 days.
In a statement following the UN report, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) repeated its reservations about South Africa’s continuing deployment of poorly trained and inadequately equipped troops specifically in the DRC, but also in the other UN peace keeping missions.
“We have consistently warned that our SANDF troops are not sufficiently equipped to be able to carry out these missions successfully. The huge, often un-budgeted, costs associated with these deployments divert critically needed funds from a severely under-budgeted SANDF, that is already in the throes of collapsing. South Africa has nothing to gain from these deployments, but much to lose, and therefore our SANDF troops must be recalled.
“As far as the serious allegations of sexual misconduct contained in the UN Report are concerned, the EFF demands that both the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans, and the Joint Standing Committee on Defence must urgently summon the Minister of Defence, Ms Angie Motshekga, and the Chief of the South African Defence Force, General Rudzani Mphwanya, to appear before these Committees, and to account for their shocking dereliction of duty. They must report in detail about the steps that they will now undertake to address the extremely serious allegations contained in the said UN Report about the sexual misconduct of our deployed SANDF troops,” the EFF concluded.
