SANDF last month confirmed the rotation of Operation Mistral troops serving under the UN's MONUSCO mission in the DRC.
Members of the joint standing committee on defence in parliament and a senior South African National Defence Force (SANDF) official have clashed over a presentation given on Friday.
Committee members had expected a detailed briefing on the rotation of soldiers stationed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
What they received was a three-slide presentation that provided a bare-bones description of how the rotation would play out.
Operation Mistral rotation
The briefing was meant to explain the readiness of the logistical support needed for the upcoming Operation Mistral rotation.
Mistral is part of the SANDF’s commitment to the United Nation’s MONUSCO peacekeeping efforts in the DRC.
MONUSCO is separate from the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC), although deployed in adjacent areas with a similar mandate.
SANDF troops on deployment serve 12-month revolving stints, and a rotation was confirmed late in November.
The committee wanted details on the rotation to avoid a repeat of the prolonged SAMIDRC withdrawal from earlier this year.
UN ‘liquidity challenges’
SANDF chief of Joint Operations Lieutenant General Siphiwe Sangweni warned that the UN was “experiencing liquidity challenges”, which had led to a reduction in resources across all UN missions.
“Consequently, MONUSCO has reduced a number of units and staff officers — military observers and military liaison officers — this year.”
The SANDF’s presentation confirmed that the composite helicopter unit and the quick reaction force’s deployment under MONUSCO had been discontinued.
Additionally, the personnel strength of the South African battalion and force integration brigade (FIB) had been reduced, but along with the tactical intelligence unit, would be rotated into the DRC for the next 12 months.
Concluding the presentation, Sangweni stated travel logistics for personnel and luggage will be handled by MONUSCO, and the returning troops will be debriefed in South Africa.
Committee concerns
The EFF’s Carl Niehaus was unhappy that the presentation did not provide any figures that would indicate the reality of life on the ground for the troops.
“We don’t get any of this; we get an insult of a presentation, which is nothing else but a box-ticking exercise,” said Niehaus.
The DA’s Chris Hattingh echoed Neihaus’ query about the lesson learned from the “disastrous SAMIDRC deployment”.
“If there are no lessons learned and if there are no presentations on the logistical support or medical support on these aspects, how should we consider the redeployment or the continuation of the deployment in the DRC?” asked Hattingh.
ANC’s Malusi Gigaba added his displeasure to proceedings, asking how a lack of information could address the larger challenges.
“What we will not want to do is to be seen to be condoning sending our young women and men to die in a conflict zone.
“I think we need a comprehensive briefing which will also include, not only the plans of reinforcement, but ask what is the diplomatic effort to bring this conflict to an end,” said Gigaba.
SANDF defends brief
Deputy Minister of Defence Bantu Holomisa reacted angrily, stressing that since taking office, he had not received any information on any SANDF deployments.
He demanded not to be “sidelined” and said he would be raising the matter with the president and the minister to demand a better presentation.
“I don’t have a reputation of lying. This haphazard administration is going to lead this country into a catastrophe. This is nonsense,” said Holomisa.
However, Sangweni was unimpressed at being blamed for the presentation, saying that it was compiled based on the brief received.
“The presentation is very narrow because of how I received it, or what was captured as a requirement.
“The agenda directed me to be narrow. The instruction said purely rotation for Mistral. I then did not go broad and cover all that which was raised,”
Sangweni continued his protestations until Niehaus made a point of order, cutting him short, and the agenda item concluded due to the presentation being declared insufficient.
NOW READ: Classified upgrade at SANDF base involves Chinese technicians
