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What on earth are our soldiers doing in the Central African Republic?

President Jacob Zuma must answer the nation on the senseless slaughter of 13 young South African National Defence Force soldiers.

More casualties are going to be added to the count, as 27 wounded soldiers are fighting for their lives in Bangui, assisted only by a skeletal medical emergency staff and by International Red Cross volunteers.

This whole military exercise is a lesson in futility.

CAR President Francois Bozize's lack of accountability and his failing to keep his promises about the new government of national unity is the root cause of the rebellion in CAR.

Bozize failed to absorb the rebel coalition's troops (Seleka) into the CAR army.

He also failed to honour his assurance of back pay and current salary payments to all rebel troops who ceased fire since the CAR's 2011 general elections.

Bozize and his family lived extravagantly at the expense of the poor masses.

His rule bordered on despotic tendencies. He appointed his son, Francis Bozize, as commander of the CAR armed forces to stifle all rebel factions.

Bozize's win at the CAR 2011 general elections was certainly not declared free and fair by UN monitors.

Bozize, a friend of Zuma, has only himself to blame.

The responsibility of keeping the peace, establishing a genuine, internationally recognised and power-sharing government, and ensuring a smooth transition towards the next general elections, is in the hands of the African Union, the UN and France.

South Africa has no business being in CAR.

The deployment of South African troops to CAR was never a directive of the AU.

Rumours that our troops were sent specifically to assist Bozize in entrenching his hold on power, and crushing all opposition forces, are now being strongly denied by the South African government.

If our troops were deployed merely to offer technical expertise, how is it then that they were caught up in actual deadly combat, fighting side by side with the CAR troops against the Seleka rebels?

The Zuma administration and the defence m inister must take full responsibility for the fatalities in CAR.

How many more young South African soldiers must die before Zuma comes to his senses and recalls our troops?

The SANDF must begin the withdrawal of all South African soldiers from CAR.

French radio and UN monitors have said the remaining South African troops are desperately seeking assistance from France to airlift and fly them out of CAR as the SANDF has no aircraft available for evacuation purposes.