SANDF meets with Sandu over unpaid allowances for DRC deployment

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has held an urgent meeting with the South African National Defence Union (Sandu) after the union’s public outcry over unpaid allowances for troops deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The SANDF said the meeting came after the union issued a statement and circulated a video on its social media platforms regarding outstanding allowances related to the SAMIDRC deployment under Operation Thiba, part of the Sadc Mission in the DRC.

SundayTimes reported that soldiers have turned their anger on their own top brass over a pay dispute, saying they are owed at least R600,000 each.

One of the aggrieved soldiers told the Sunday Times he and his fellow troops should have been paid R100,000 a month during their 15-month deployment as part of a Southern African Development Community force in the eastern DRC, but had received only R58,000.

The SANDF expressed concern that Sandu had released the statement without first following the established process of direct engagement with it.. 

“This occurred while the SANDF was still in the process of demobilising the deployed members and addressing payment-related and other administrative matters internally,” said SANDF spokesperson Rear-Admiral Prince Tshabalala.

Tshabalala said the meeting focused on clarifying the status of outstanding allowances and emphasising the importance of effective and respectful communication between the SANDF and recognised unions, in line with the Bargaining Council framework.

“During the meeting, Sandu was cautioned that issuing public statements on unresolved internal matters without prior consultation may lead to misinformation and miscommunication, potentially undermining the morale of troops and affecting the command and control structures of the SANDF,” he said.

However, despite these concerns, the meeting was conducted in a cordial and constructive spirit, he said. 

Tshabalala said both parties committed to continued engagement to resolve the outstanding issues. 

He added that a follow-up meeting would be scheduled.

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