WATCH | DA slams ‘farcical homecoming’ as generals defend DRC mission

Rudzani Maphwanya

Cape Town – The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has, once again, defended its deployment of troops to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as a second group of returning soldiers arrived home on Sunday.

The troops were part of a peacekeeping mission during the conflict between M23 rebels and the DRC military, which resulted in thousands of deaths and displacements.

Earlier in 2025, 14 South African soldiers were killed, sparking public criticism.

Following a ceasefire, SANDF forces, along with Malawian and Tanzanian troops, have been withdrawn.

SANDF Chief Rudzani Maphwanya welcomed over 250 troops at Waterkloof Air Force Base, commending their role in facilitating dialogue between opposing forces.

“We cannot be there [DRC] forever. And we are not divorcing the DRC. We will continue to support the DRC in peace building. We will continue to be part and parcel of the solution of the problem in the eastern DRC. We didn’t run away.

“I’m saying all these things so that those who are peddling lies that you didn’t do much, they must know that these are the heroes,” said Maphwanya.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) criticised the deployment, labelling it a “national tragedy” due to 14 soldiers killed, 174 injured, poor equipment, low pay, and lack of air support.

The DA also accused the minister of avoiding accountability by missing two Parliament sessions, attending a World War II event in Russia instead.

In a statement on Sunday, the DA said: “This farcical “homecoming” is not merely a PR disaster. It reflects the SANDF’s growing inability to carry out even the most basic operations, troop movement, equipment return, or coordinated logistics, without confusion, delay, or last-minute crisis-driven haphazard improvisation. The Minister’s own admission that “we would have just picked up our children and landed them at the airbase” if the SANDF had working aircraft speaks volumes.

“Worse still is the SANDF’s expensive and unsustainable reliance on foreign commercial airlines. While our own military transport fleet sits idle due to chronic neglect, the Department is now dependent on costly foreign charters—further proof of a hollowed-out defence force.”

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