by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – THE death of 13 South African soldiers in battle against rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) can be linked to one of the most severe scourges devastating the country – corruption.
Coinciding with the killing of the soldiers as they fended off rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23) from Goma, east of the troubled DRC, a probe has established that graft is the root of the soldiers being ill-equipped.
As in most such cases, a state-owned enterprise is at the centre of the controversy.
Denel, the parastatal aerospace and military technology company, is implicated.
Days after the soldiers were killed in DRC, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has confirmed that Denel received, and was paid R8,3 billion for a contract signed in 2007 to deliver 264 Badger armoured personnel carriers over the following ten years.
“It’s been almost 20 years since signing that ten year contract. To date, none of these have reached our troops. Not one,” lamented Mark Burke, spokesperson of the Democratic Alliance (DA).
It is the largest partner of the fragile coalition government, led by the African National Congress (ANC) of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Burke noted that a shortage of armoured vehicles has been highlighted as a critical flaw leading to previous military disasters such as the so-called Battle of Bangui.
Again, 13 South African soldiers were killed as rebels invaded Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic in 2023.
The SIU has indicated that the controversial contract likely has a bearing on the current conflict.
The Badger contract is denounced as one of many “horror stories” at Denel.
In a separate missile matter, Denel is accused of failing to certify the missiles needed to equip Gripen fighter jets with strike power, making the jets impotent for the DRC combat.
“There is no turnaround at Denel. Our soldiers are paying the ultimate price,” Burke said.
Established in 1992, two years before majority rule, Denel has in recent years suffered major financial crises.
In 2021, it was announced in Parliament that it was facing insolvency.
Denel had not commented on the probe.
Former president, Jacob Zuma, is under probe for alleged corruption, money laundering and racketeering over charges he received bribes in an arms deal the government signed with French arms company, Thales.
Another ANC stalwart, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, is subject of a bribery investigation in connection with her tenure as Minister of Defence between 2012 and 2021.
Calls meanwhile are rising for the government to withdraw its troops from the DRC.
Mmusi Maimane, leader of the opposition Build One South Africa (BOSA) said, “Our troops are dying in the DRC for absolutely no reason that has forthcoming from the government. We must withdraw our troops from there. We have pressing needs like the crisis in Mozambique and our borders.”
South Africa is bordered by unstable countries, including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe, among others in addition to Mozambique, where Islamist insurgency and post-election conflict has left hundreds dead.
The DA has called for debate in Parliament to assess whether South African soldiers deployed in the DRC were adequately equipped for the mission.
Chris Hattingh, DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans, alleged the party had long raised alarms about the inadequacy of the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) preparedness for the challenges posed by the DRC’s deteriorating security situation, but pointed fingers at the ANC-led government of failing to ensure that the South African soldiers were adequately equipped and supported to face the dangers on the ground.
Mathu Joyini, South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), said the country’s peacekeeping mission in DRC would continue.
She believes that the situation in the eastern DRC required decisive action from the international community led by the UN Security Council following the killing of peacemakers.
“This Council must send a clear message that peacekeepers’ lives matter. We must value and safeguard the contribution of those entrusted to carry out the mandates adopted in this Chamber,” she said on Sunday.
Joyini called on the Rwanda Defence Forces to cease support to the M23 and for the rebel group to immediately cease all hostile actions in order to withdraw from occupied areas.
Ramaphosa’s office on Tuesday evening disclosed he held a telephone call with his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to discuss the recent developments in the eastern DRC – Goma, and the escalation in fighting that had resulted in the deaths of peacekeepers.
“The two heads of state have agreed on the urgent need for a ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks by all parties to the conflict,” it stated.
– CAJ News