‘We are proud of him’: remains of SA soldier killed in DRC Vusi Mabena brought home to family

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Desperately sad but immensely proud. This is how relatives, friends, soldiers and government officials said they felt when the remains of Sergeant Vusi Mabena were returned to his family at a military ceremony at the Waterkloof Air Base on Sunday.

Mabena was killed during an incident where an Oryx helicopter came under fire in Goma in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo a week ago.

Chief of the SANDF Gen Rudzani Maphwanya said while details of the incident were known, there would still be a board of inquiry to determine the circumstances.

“It has been determined that our aircraft was shot at on a UN mission while flying from Beni to Goma. Our members were injured. Mabena fell with his boots on. He paid the ultimate price for peace to prevail,” Maphwanya said at the sombre ceremony.

Mabena’s body was flown home to Waterkloof on Sunday morning. On Sunday afternoon, at a ceremony attended by defence minister Thandi Modise, SANDF members and Mabena’s relatives, his remains were handed back to the family.

As his coffin was loaded into a black hearse, a soldier presented a blue UN cap and flag to his aunt — seated nearby. Her sobs rang out loudly as members saluted and paid their respects.

“We are very, very sad. But we are also proud that Vusi died a hero,” said his uncle Sipho Mabena.

He said Mabena was 37 years old and had three children.

Speaking about the significance of Mabena’s death, Modise said: “We are very proud of him. We will always be proud of this man ... This Mabena was in the DRC, and there are many other Mabenas out there in Africa, working for us as a country to make peace so we can all live in peace and our borders don’t need to be policed.”

Maphwanya said the SANDF would not be deterred by the attack.

“We are still going to support the UN, and we will continue to be there in the Congo and support the people of Congo so that they can continue to live without war and strife. We will continue our presence there as an element within Monusco,” he said.

Eastern DRC is home to multiple armed groups, including the rebel M23 force, that have been fighting a campaign against government troops in recent months.

Government troops are supported by the UN mission, known by its French acronym Monusco, mandated to protect civilians.