SANDF mum over claims soldiers' remains are headed home

Two weeks after 14 SA National Defence Force (SANDF) members were killed in the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the South African government remains mum about the repatriation of their remains, however Rwandan media is reporting they are en route home.

SANDF head Gen Rudzani Maphwanya had told the joint committee on defence and military veterans on Tuesday that the bodies of the dead soldiers and the injured would be repatriated on Wednesday.

However, on Wednesday, SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said they would send an update while family members told TimesLIVE they had received no word.

On Thursday afternoon, Dlamini issued a statement stating the soldiers’ remains were in the possession of the UN.

“All administrative processes were completed and handed over to the UN. The UN planned movement for the repatriation of the deceased out of the combat zone has been delayed,” he said.

However, on Friday, reports emerged from Rwandan media that the remains had arrived at the La Corniche One Border Post in Rubavu in Rwanda after a safe evacuation from Goma.

It has also been reported that the remains would be transferred to Uganda before being brought home.

In response to this, Dlamini said on Friday: “We will have to wait for our official statement from an update point of view.”

Monageng Moagi, spokesperson for the family of deceased soldier Calvin Moagi, told TimesLIVE they had not had any news on the return of the bodies to the victims' families. It had been reported that the families would first receive the bodies in a private ceremony. 

“It’s news to me that we will be receiving the bodies in a private ceremony.”

However, Rwandan media shared a video of vehicles carrying the bodies passing the Cyanika border crossing in Burera District into Uganda.

In his inaugural state of the nation address under a government of national unity on Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa started the proceedings by naming the 14 soldiers and requesting a moment of silence in their memory.

He also directed the national flag be flown at half-mast at all flag stations across the country for seven days from Friday as the country mourns the fallen soldiers.

“Alongside soldiers from our Southern African countries, they lost their lives in defence of the fundamental right of the Congolese people to live in peace and security. They lost their lives not in the pursuit of resources or territory or power. They lost their lives so that the guns on our continent may be forever silenced. We salute our gallant soldiers,” Ramaphosa said.

TimesLIVE