Cape Town – Minister of Defence Angie Motshekga has been criticised for missing a key parliamentary defence briefing on 9 May to attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.
According to The Citizen, although committee chair Malusi Gigaba excused her absence, citing ANC deployment, several MPs were frustrated by her nonattendance during an important discussion on the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) withdrawal from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“It is not just about the celebration, there are diplomatic issues involved,” the report quoted Gigaba as sayig.
“There are diplomatic relations involved between countries and I think we need to respect that we are not privy to the reason why the president deployed the minister to Russia.”
Putin welcomes world leaders for the Victory Day Celebrations in Russia, amongst them is South Africa’s Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga 🇿🇦
— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (@MbuyiseniNdlozi) May 8, 2025
Deputy Minister Bantu Holomisa attended in her place, explaining that the operation is coordinated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and involves complex logistics, including land withdrawal through Rwanda into Tanzania.
DA MP Nicholas Gotsell criticised Minister Motshekga’s absence from Parliament, noting that the meeting had been scheduled weeks in advance and her apology seemed to have been submitted at the last minute, EWN reported.
“I don’t think a celebration in Russia is not important at all, especially given the agenda items today, and I would like to record my dissatisfaction with the minister not being here,” the report quoted him as saying.
Earlier, Gotsell launched a scathing attack on Motshekga, blaming her for what his party calls a failed and deadly regional intervention in the DRC under the SAMIDRC mission.
The DA has launched a blistering attack on Defence Minister Angie Motshekga, holding her directly responsible for what it calls the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) disastrous deployment in the DRC. #AfricanInsider https://t.co/JEy83MPR8i
— African Insider (@AfricanInsider2) May 9, 2025
He accused her of political spin while 14 South African soldiers died and 174 were injured in a mission he says lacked air support, equipment, and a clear operational mandate.
Gotsell also highlighted a financial scandal, alleging that troops were underpaid by R76,000 per month compared to the SADC allocation, and demanded a full audit of the mission’s funding.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
